Results 11,981-12,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: Since January 2016, details of public contracts over €25,000 are published quarterly by my Department, in accordance with the principles of freedom of information.  In the management and response to the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, some contract modifications and additional drawdowns on existing contracts were required (for example, to undertake...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme is due to remain open until 30thJune 2021 and the Government will continue to keep all aspects of the scheme under review. Future decisions will be informed by the trajectory of the pandemic and the wider implications for the reopening of society and the economy.   I trust that this clarifies the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The table beneath details the number of people under 25 in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment on April 27th 2021 by county. County No of Recipients Carlow 976 Cavan 1,448 Clare 2,492 Cork 10,857 Donegal 3,833 Dublin ...

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

Heather Humphreys: As of April 27th 2021, 40,853 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are students; 34,727 of these being under 25. The Deputy should note that this is based on a combination of self-certified information provided by the recipients, and checks performed against administrative files from the Higher Education Authority, and should...

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

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be significantly impacted by any labour market shock. This is because many employers operate a "last in-first out" protocol when reducing their labour force. Moreover, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on our youth is driven by the tendency for many younger people to work in...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a pension auto-enrolment system. The objective of this commitment is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions. The rate of supplementary pension coverage in Ireland is around 55% of the working population (CSO, Pension Coverage...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Department adheres to the policy and principles of open government. Designated Officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 are listed here: A critical element of public policy formulation is the availability to Ministers of expertise, skills and knowledge from persons outside of the public service. Often, this process is formalised by the establishment of a task...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 675 and 677 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefiting 227,000 children.  The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 children.  The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The programme is an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (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 therefore shortly intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment type services into four geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The specific lots will be detailed in the...

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

Heather Humphreys: Following review, the Increase for qualified adult (IQA), payable with State pension (contributory) in this case, has been backdated to 24 January 2020, six months from the date of receipt of the original IQA application. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision and the arrears due to her on 26 April 2021. Current social welfare legislation on late claims stipulates that...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Enterprise Support Grant (ESG) is available to eligible self-employed recipients who close their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and re-start their business. A once-off grant of up to €1,000 is available under this measure to assist with the costs associated with reopening a business.   This grant is available to self-employed individuals who satisfy the...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 682 and 683 together. My Department's Community Welfare Service has responsibly for the administration of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme, the Daily Expenses Allowance and the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides...

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

Heather Humphreys: There has been no expenditure by the Department in the area of public relations advice or media advice in 2020 or to date in 2021. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them and public information campaigns are an important part of this work.  The total public information campaign...

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

Heather Humphreys: This domiciliary care allowance application in respect of the person concerned has been assigned to a deciding officer.  Further medical information in support of the claim has been requested.  Once this is received, the claim will be further considered by the deciding officer and the decision will be notified to applicant as soon as possible. I hope this...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme.  These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators.  There are currently approx....

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

Heather Humphreys: While I have sympathy for all persons who incur significant travel expense in their daily lives because of a disability, extending the free travel scheme to the cohort of people highlighted by the Deputy cannot be considered in isolation.  As the 700 service users do not meet the medical conditions to be registered as blind or are not in receipt of a payment from my Department that would...

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

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), my Department may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Department and its agencies currently have three motor vehicles. The cost of replacing these vehicles with an electrical equivalent is estimated to be in the region of €85,000 (excluding VAT and VRT). As the energy usage on these vehicles is relatively low, the Department does not consider that there is an economic or major environmental benefit in changing...