Results 12,061-12,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At the onset of the pandemic, as part of the Department’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and public health restrictions,  activation appointments were largely suspended from March 2020.   Limited services were provided during the course of 2020 and early 2021, subject to the public health restrictions in place at any time....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Qualification for the Treatment Benefit Scheme is based on satisfying certain PRSI conditions.  In order to qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the relevant contribution year on which the claim is based.  The person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I confirm that my Department received an application for CA from the person concerned in respect of her mother on 5...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered with that office on 8 April 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced initially. This rate was the equivalent of the Jobseeker benefit rate for a two-person...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: For reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Inspections (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Section 32 of the Prisons Act 2007 provides that the Inspector of Prisons shall submit a report to me as Minister, not later than 31 March in any year or such later date as may be specified by me, on the performance of the Inspector’s functions during the previous year.  I can confirm that the Annual report from the Inspector of Prisons for 2020 was submitted...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can assure the Deputy that the criminal activity known as 'phishing' or 'smishing' is taken very seriously by my Department and is the subject of on-going engagement between An Garda Síochána and the banking and technology industries.  Preliminary data indicates an increase in this form of crime over recent years. I am aware that Gardaí have highlighted scams...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 17 September 2019. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Death Certificates (29 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, coroners are statutory officers exercising quasi-judicial functions, in relation to which the coroner is independent. Neither I nor my Department have any function in the conduct of their business.  However, to be of assistance, officials from my Department made contact with the Coroner concerned, and have been assured that the Death...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A person can apply for a certificate using one of three methods: 1) Online by visiting the HSE website certificates.ie, 2) By e-mailing the General Register Office and submitting an online application form, or 3) By calling to their local Civil Registration Office Applications for certificates using 1) and 2) above can be paid for online or by using a bank card only while applications...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As a general practice, a person will not be required to provide a birth or other life event certificate to an office of the Department of Social Protection if the event was registered in Ireland. Should a certificate be required, any local registration office will be able to provide a certificate without charge on production of a written requested from the Department. The Deputy should note...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Data (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme provided for employees and the self- employed who were in employment on or after 13th March 2020 and who lost employment as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme does not provide support for the loss of potential or prospective but unrealised employment. To qualify for the payment an employee must have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 31 March 2020 and was awarded a standard State pension (contributory) at 85% of the maximum rate. They were notified in writing of this decision on 6 April 2020. This rate of pension results from a yearly average calculation of 23, based on the person’s social insurance record of 1,173 qualifying paid and credited contributions from 31...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Provision (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under previous taxation law, the husband of a married couple was considered the assessable spouse and the wife was considered a dependant of the husband. Accordingly, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revenue) allocated the husband’s Revenue and Social Insurance (RSI) number to the wife and appended a “W” to the end, as a second check character, so that they could...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Appointments (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department’s policy is that all Top Level Appointment Commission (TLAC) posts notified to the Department are advertised to staff as a matter of course. Notwithstanding that the post referenced is not a post that falls to be filled through the TLAC process the Department would also normally issue a notice to staff advising them of the opportunity to apply. Regrettably, although...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Since 1 January 2018, three officers were suspended and had access to all Departments’ systems (emails) and/or files revoked, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. Two of these officers have since been dismissed and one is currently on long term sick leave. No further restrictions on access to the Department’s systems and/or files have been imposed as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Following on from the receipt of information provided by the Deputy on behalf of the person concerned, a full review of the circumstances and means of the person concerned will be undertaken at an early date and, on completion of that review, the person concerned will be notified of the outcome in writing. Requests for any additional information, if required, as part of this review will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (5 May 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 important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (5 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Jobseekers Benefit scheme is a statutory income support paid to people who have lost employment. The payments are based on pay related social insurance contributions paid while a person was in employment. A person must be unemployed for at least 4 in 7 consecutive days to be eligible for the payment and they must satisfy the other qualifying scheme conditions. The duration of...