Results 12,261-12,280 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It is important to say also that a lot of supports are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to assist people, in particular older people, to carry out improvements to their houses, which includes insulation, and thereby reduce their heating costs. I take Deputy Stanton's point. The cost is not something that has been raised with me previously but I will certainly...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this matter. Maternity benefit is a statutory payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. The fundamental qualification criteria for maternity benefit are that a woman must be in insurable employment and entitled to statutory maternity leave or be in insurable self-employment. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I take on board what Deputy Kerrane says. We have been trying to improve the supports available to parents. We have extended parental leave from two weeks to five weeks. That has been welcomed. It is a good support and it is something I would like to see us extending further. I am aware of the habitual residence clause that is in place. It can sometimes have unintended consequences...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There are arrangements across the EU, as I said, and there is a bilateral arrangement with the UK. Many cases would traditionally have been dealt with in terms of contributions. The convention on social security between Ireland and the UK, which was put in place in response to the UK leaving the EU post-Brexit, provides for situations where workers have moved between Ireland and the UK. We...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department provides two main payment method options for people in receipt of social welfare. They can be paid in cash at the post office or they can have their payment made directly into their account in either a bank, in An Post or in a credit union. The Department intends, where possible, to continue to offer people the choice of being paid in cash at the post office or directly into...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Short-Time Work Support is a social insurance contribution payment provided under Jobseekers Benefit for employees temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer and who are not being paid for days of unemployment. Jobseeker's Benefit support is paid for up to 9 months (or 234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for up to 6 months (or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: To begin with, it is important to note that self-employment is a perfectly legitimate and vital feature of the Irish economy with over 330,000 people employed this way. It is also the case that there is no compelling evidence that false self-employment is widespread, as some might suggest. That said, false self-employment does exist and, as such, is a matter that I and the Department take...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As part of an overall expansion of employment services, my Department will 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. Separately, the current contracts for existing contracted Public Employment Service provision will expire at the end of 2021. These contracts...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability. In line with the commitment contained in the Programme for Government, the research will provide a valuable input to inform policy on the provision of supports to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The report is expected in the coming weeks. This matter is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: 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 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to provide a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. The criteria for Fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Since the onset of the pandemic, my Department has introduced a range of schemes and supports to assist persons affected by the impact of Covid-19. These schemes include: - Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP); - Enhanced Covid 19 Illness Benefit; - Covid-19 Enterprise Support Grant; - Covid-19 Rent supplement; and - Covid-19 Part time Job Incentive Scheme. These schemes provide income support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is reviewing the provision and procurement of contracted employment services. In line with legal advice, future procurement will be conducted in accordance with national and EU procurement law. My Department will shortly issue a Request for Tender to expand local employment type services into some of the geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance 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 results in them requiring that level of care. A primary qualifying condition for the Carer’s Allowance is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In December 2019, after an open and transparent procurement process, my Department began engaging with external consultants to review all public employment services (PES), including contracted employment services delivered through EmployAbility, Job Clubs, JobPath and the Local Employment Services. The successful tender, a joint bid by the Institute for Employment Studies and Social Finance,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The term 'bogus self-employment' is a provocative one that implies falsehood and a deliberate attempt to commit fraud. However, it is clear that the misclassification of employees for PRSI purposes often occurs through a lack of knowledge or error or due to changes that occur over time in the relationship between an employer and its contractors. It is not always contrived. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. My Department has partly funded the excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian Partnership for a number of years, and I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant.  Over 135,000 carers benefit from regular income supports and spending on these payments in 2021 is expected to be in the region of €1.5 billion.  The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50%...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 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: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 107 together. 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, for undergraduate courses.  In limited cases, post-graduate courses can be supported via BTEA. For example, BTEA can be approved where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (18 May 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...