Results 17,761-17,780 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,800 schools and organisations benefitting 290,000 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: Social Welfare Code (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. There is a range of benefits available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement to such benefits is dependent on the individual's social insurance contribution record, the class of social insurance paid as well as satisfying other qualification...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not have all the information requested by the Deputy. The tables below outline the number of applications received, awarded and rejected in 2021 and to end May 2022 for the main disability related social welfare schemes. Table 1: Claims registered for the main disability related social welfare schemes Scheme 2021 2022 (to end May) ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year costs of providing an additional €10 per week payment to recipients of a disability or illness related payment with a proportionate increase for qualified adults are shown in the table below. Scheme Cost (€m) Disability Allowance 87.2 Illness Benefit 26.1 Invalidity...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of the maximum rate Carers Allowance. This allowance can be paid concurrently with certain social welfare payments where the qualifying conditions for both schemes are satisfied. The person concerned reached pension age on 18 March 2022. An application for State pension (contributory) was received on 24 May 2022. According to the records...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 and 634 together. My Department is currently at an advanced stage in significantly expanding our public employment services. In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - previously available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time. In the first phase of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 588, 593 and 609 together. The estimated cost of extending Child Benefit to 18-year olds in secondary school is €61.5m. This costing is based on the estimated school enrolment numbers and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revisions. Any extension of Child Benefit would need to be considered in an overall budgetary and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has introduced an online service which allows customers with verified MyGovID accounts to renew their Public Services Cards (PSCs) through the MyWelfare.ie service without having to attend an appointment in one of our offices. Customers are requested to submit a passport quality photograph which must be verified by software before the application can be accepted. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. Illness Benefit is the primary income support payment for people who cannot work due to illness of any type and are covered by social insurance. Self-employed people who make PRSI contributions at Class S do not qualify for Illness Benefit. This is due to the fact that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The development of services and policies to prevent social exclusion and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities operates through a cross government framework which includes relevant departments, agencies and, importantly, disability sector representatives, under a number of key national strategies and action plans. The two main national strategies in this area are the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a wide range of services and supports to assist jobseekers with a disability to find work and to incentivise employers to recruit them and support them in employment, including access to the public employment service. My Department provides a case-managed employment service to all jobseekers, including those with disabilities, who seek support from their local...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The number of recipients of the core Department of Social Protection schemes, broken down by payment type, is available in the table below. The table shows those that received at least one payment in June 2022, broken down by the payment method of their last payment in that month. Schemes with more than 1,000 recipients in June 2022 are included in the table. Table 1: Recipients of main...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: When the State Pension (Transition) existed, it was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to receive a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years. The maximum personal rate was equivalent to the then maximum rate for the State Pension (Contributory). Eligibility was based on PRSI contributions and credits and payments were calculated based on the Yearly Averaging...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596 and 640 together. Fuel Allowance is a household payment and the circumstances and income of any other member of the household will be taken into account when deciding a Fuel Allowance application. Accordingly, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate for the proposed measure. The estimate is based on a weekly Fuel Allowance payment of €33...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department received an application for Enhanced Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 26th May 2022. The appropriate medical evidence required to support her claim has yet to be received. A letter issued to the person concerned on the 2nd June 2022 requesting that she submit a Certificate of Incapacity for Work from her GP. A further email issued to her on the 5th July 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has engaged with RTÉ since the broadcaster commenced a review of its contractors’ engagements in 2018, to ensure that the correct class of PRSI is being paid for workers. In late 2020, the Employment Status Investigation Unit commenced an investigation into the employment status of RTÉ’s contractors. The Unit is examining the status of all contracted...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. In 2021, Child Benefit was paid to 630,000 customers in respect of 1.2 million children. Control reviews on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. In 2021, Child Benefit was paid to 630,000 customers in respect of 1.2 million children. Control reviews on the Child...