Results 15,001-15,020 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) was launched last July 2021 as a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025. WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide training and a quality work experience to unemployed person who have been unemployed for more that six months, which includes time spent on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Age-related reduced rates for people on Jobseekers Allowance were introduced in 2009 in line with other jurisdictions, to address the issue of high youth unemployment. Young jobseekers who take part in employment, education and training programmes receive a higher rate of payment. There are a number of circumstances where reduced rates do not apply including if a young person is in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment. The Commission was an independent body comprised of knowledgeable and experienced academics, pension experts, members of civil society and representatives of workers and employers. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits the Government to use this research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. This matter is significantly wider than the income support system which is why a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Welfare Service in my department delivers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The discretionary element of Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) is a major...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic Violence (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence is a cross government body of work involving Department of Justice, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and associated agencies. The co-ordination of the services addressing the needs of these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic Violence (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence is a cross government body of work involving Department of Justice, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and associated agencies. The co-ordination of the services addressing the needs of these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Currently, all persons wishing to obtain details of their social insurance contributions can do so by request to the Client Eligibility Services section in my Department. The details are provided by way of a contribution history statement which is a summary of the person's social insurance history in Ireland. There are several ways in which a person can request their contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The second phase in the procuring of new employment services is currently under preparation. In phase two, the Regional Employment Services model will be rolled out throughout the rest of the State; that is a further nineteen counties. The first phase of the procurement is concerned with seven counties. The Department is currently reflecting on feedback from Phase One and amending the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Prices (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives, and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. In light of ESRI research and the commitment to ensure that the carbon tax is progressive, the Government has committed to very significant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It is estimated that over €4 billion will be spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in 2021. The 2022 allocation for PUP is €75 million and is based upon Government Decisions made to date.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: General Register Office (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can inform the Deputy that an application for recognition of a foreign divorce was submitted to the General Register Office (GRO) in respect of one of the parties to the proposed marriage. Where a person is granted a divorce abroad this must be examined to determine if it is entitled to recognition under Irish law. If the divorce is entitled to recognition then the person is deemed to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a payment for people with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is ‘substantially restricted’ in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. At the end of September 2021 there were 154,563 persons in receipt of Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Prices (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department operates schemes to help people with energy costs. My Department may make a single exceptional need payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. In 2019, over 3,000 ENPs were made to assist with the payment of household...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. Phase One involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots where there is no existing local employment service. The core objective of this procurement is to delivery high quality services to the people who need them....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment is an in work, income tested family payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. Once WFP is awarded, it is payable for 52 weeks at a fixed rate, while a claimant continues to be engaged in fulltime employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight, with the same employer. If the claimant ceases...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency payment for qualifying employees and self-employed people who lost employment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. To date expenditure on the scheme is in excess of €8.9 billion. The PUP scheme evolved and arrangements were introduced for the self-employed so...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 22 September 2021. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that they were substantially restricted in taking up employment. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 26 October 2021 and was also notified of their right to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The measures announced by Government last week, including the introduction of an earlier closing time limit in the night time industry, do not represent an economic shutdown along the lines of those previously in place. Employers in this situation, many of which have adapted their trading hours, have been encouraged to avail of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to retain staff on their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid in early December this year benefitting over 1.4 million people in recipient of long-term social welfare payments. The payment of the Bonus this year will cost €313 million. As we know, this payment is an additional help to people as we enter the Christmas period and much of this is spent locally,...