Results 14,281-14,300 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Earlier this year, I signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which applies to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a Level 10 postgraduate course. It is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 per annum (i.e. if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000) and is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in March 2020 to support employees and the self-employed who lost employment due to Covid-19. Expenditure on the scheme is over €8.7 billion to date. In line with the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan, the PUP is gradually changing using a tapered approach over a 6 month period from September 2021 until February 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of a two-phase procurement of new employment services. This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers over the last number of years. The Phase two procurement, to commence shortly, will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I recently received the Pre-Budget Submission from the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, which was produced on foot of a significant consultation and engagement with interested stakeholders. I am very grateful for the time and effort taken by the Committee in producing this report and in drawing these issues to my attention. Many...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming days, taking account of available resources. It is, I believe, important to emphasise that the Government takes a range of data, not just price data,into account in formulating its budget. For example, the last two Budgets have, in fact, seen a series of evidence-based increases in some...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of Parent’s Leave and Benefit for each parent of a child born or adopted after 1 November 2019. As provided for in Budget 2021, Parent’s Leave and Benefit have been extended from 2 weeks to 5 weeks for each parent. These additional weeks are available to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (7 Oct 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 370,000 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 represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. Last year, in recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on employment levels and the sudden...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 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 370,000 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 represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Latest estimates from the CSO indicate that the unemployment rate for young people is 17 percent using the traditional measure rising to just under 20 per cent when we use the CSO’s COVID-19 adjusted measure for the month of September. This COVID-19 Adjusted measure, which includes all those in receipt of PUP, has fallen by 6 percentage points from almost 26 percent in August and by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (7 Oct 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 important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Local Employments Services contracts have previously been tendered through a closed bid process. My Department has commenced an open tendering process in order to ensure good governance and compliance with procurement rules I have previously made clear that legal advice from the Attorney General's office obliges my Department to procure its employment services in an open and competitive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 July 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (7 Oct 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 370,000 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 represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is committed to delivering an excellent customer service as pledged in our Customer Service Charter. My Department always aims to ensure that all customers are served in a fair, courteous and timely manner, are informed of their rights, provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements and have their privacy respected. All complaints received...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 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 370,000 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 represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 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 370,000 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 represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or...