Results 11,961-11,980 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Civil and public sector employees, recruited prior to 6 April 1995, pay social insurance contributions at modified rates under PRSI classes B, C and D.  Amongst the class B contributors are permanent and pensionable civil servants and Gardaí, the class C contributors are commissioned army officers and members of the army nursing service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants are designed to assist and support jobseekers and persons in employment with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to employ or retain a person with a disability. The grants available are: a. Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant, which provides funding to make the workplace more accessible.   b. Personal Reader Grant, which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Marriages (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 and 643 together. A person must be a registered Solemniser in order that they can solemnise a legally valid marriage in Ireland. To become a registered Solemniser a person must have an application made on their behalf, by an authorised body, to have that person added to the Register of Solemnisers. Section 45 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 defines...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 645 together. The OECD Review of Pensions Systems: Ireland Report (2014) was commissioned following a request by the then Minister for Social Protection in response to the Pension Charges in Ireland Report (2012).  The 2014 report references the Pension Charges in Ireland Report (2012), and confirms its conclusions that whilst the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and resulting public health measures, has greatly impacted economic activity in the State and the labour market. The latest CSO data for March 2021, recorded a COVID-19 adjusted overall unemployment rate of 24.2 percent, with an equivalent measure for youth at 59.2 percent. Research conducted by my Department last year suggests that part-time workers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Resource Centres (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have been in contact with the Deputy's office to explain that this is not a matter for the Department of Social Protection and is proper to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: All jobseekers, including those who are working part time and in receipt of a jobseeker's payment from my Department, are required to be genuinely seeking and available for full time employment and to engage with my Department's employment services.  JobPath is an employment assistance and advice service that supports and assists people who are long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.  My Department has a provision of €96.5m in supports under the BTEA for 2021. A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme has to satisfy a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,761 active recipients. The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 653, 657 and 658 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme payable to employees and self- employed persons who are aged between 18 and 66 years (pension age) who have lost employment as a result of Covid-19 and satisfy the scheme’s qualifying conditions. The age range for entitlement to PUP is consistent with other social protection unemployment payments which are payable to people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments.  Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: When applying for social welfare benefits, it is important that an individual uses the correct Personal Public Service (PPS) number. Instances have arisen where a person has inadvertently applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment using an incorrect PPS number, for example the PPS number of their spouse or partner. Where this has occurred, the person should immediately close the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As per Government policy, my Department is responsible as the State's Public Employment Service for providing employment assistance and advice services to all jobseekers and members of the public who require these services. Contracted providers such as the Local Employment Services and JobPath provide my Department with the capacity to support the long term unemployed with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the July jobs stimulus, the Government committed to increase the capacity of all elements of the Public Employment Service. My Department now intends to shortly issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment type services into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. My Department is preparing to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Irish Language (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 661 and 662 together. My Department and bodies under its aegis are  committed to providing a high standard of service in either Irish or English to its customers.  The Department is aware of its obligations under the Official Languages Act 2003 and our commitments as set out in our Irish Language Scheme 2019-2022....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year.  The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Council (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I believe it is important that consumers have comprehensive and transparent information on costs and charges on pensions so that they can decide if investments represent value for money.  Consequently, on 4 March 2021, I wrote to the Pensions Council asking them to consider the merits of introducing an initiative similar to the Cost Transparency Initiative in the UK for pension providers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) is a scheme which extends the illness benefit and invalidity pension schemes to recognise and respond to the reality that some people with disabilities have a capacity to engage in open market employment while continuing to need to receive some income support from the State. People in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit (for a minimum of six...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: JobsPlus is a subsidy paid to employers who recruit long-term unemployed people for new positions in their workplace. Employers can avail of JobsPlus when filling new positions or positions that arise as a consequence of natural turnover and they can receive a subsidy of €7,500 or €10,000 per employee. The value of the grant is dependent on the age of the new employee and their...