Results 2,181-2,200 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects (2 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 to 61, inclusive, together. Considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of participants on the community employment (CE) drug rehabilitation scheme. Table 1 shows that in December 2014, there were 936 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places (644 male and 292 female) and 220 support workers (103 male and 117 female). In total, in...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: It is not our role to do this. As far as this being a sop is concerned, it is not a sop or a response to people being under pressure. The back-to-work family dividend is substantial and the people I have spoken to have quite welcomed it. They see it as an opportunity to get back into the workforce, having been distanced from that. This is an opportunity for people to get back into work...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: He should look at the figures from 2010 to 2014 in regard to the number who now qualify for carer's allowance.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: With regard to GPs, if a GP makes a diagnosis, there is no question about the diagnosis but it is an overall assessment that decides the carer's allowance. I have addressed the contents of the Bill on Committee Stage and also this morning, including the particular points made. A Deputy asked: "What work?" There are jobs out there. When we came into government, unemployment was at 15.1%...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: That has to be addressed. However, I certainly do not believe this is in any shape or form an attack on carers. Deputy Ó Snodaigh debated for a long time on Committee Stage and Report Stage in regard to the medical assessors to whom Deputy Coppinger is referring. I believe I have adequately explained what we are doing to those who were present in the House. By and large, I believe...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We are not taking our policies from English newspapers or from "Panorama". We can certainly learn from others and make sure we do not make mistakes. I take on board the points made by Deputy Ó Snodaigh on Committee Stage and on Report Stage this morning. I think I have reassured Deputy Ó Snodaigh that, when we are taking on medical assessors in this manner, to have such a system...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Have I a time limit?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will be brief. I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for his remarks and for saying the Bill is progressive. He said he has particular problems with it and I accept that. I accept the point in respect of the Constitutional Convention as well. I would have welcomed a debate on the recommendation of tabling amendments. That is interesting. The Deputy asked me to raise it with the Tánaiste...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I try to keep it to a minimum. Let us keep this in the centre. The Government does not rule any of the amendments out of order. That is not our role. There is an independent entity in place. I would have preferred if some of the amendments ruled out of order had been in order so that we could have had a good discussion and debate on them. A good debate often informs future decisions. It...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Now.

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Catherine Byrne is correct. It is €650,000. I am a little cautious about streamlining. It is the flexibility of the community service programme that makes it work well. There is flexibility in the services where numbers of groups come together but there is one overall manager. In this case, the CDETB has taken on the administration of it. The way this is managed varies...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: If the Deputies will forgive me, I will depart from the script that has been circulated. This matter involves substantial funding. A sum of €600,000 will be paid over three years. In many ways, Pobal is a gatekeeper, and we have to make sure this money is spent correctly. The provision of such funding over a three-year contract is a fantastic asset to local communities. This is...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy O'Dea knows that we normally get two social welfare Bills per year. This period is also used as an opportunity to tidy up legislation. The Deputy knows that from being in Government over many decades. I will be very clear. Our legal advice is that there is no shift in presumption. I refute the suggestion that these changes are being made to make it more difficult for a person to...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I already gave the figures which show an increase in the numbers being awarded carer’s allowance. The figures do not bear out Deputy O’Dea’s assertion the Department is operating the scheme in a different fashion. There appears to be a misconception that section 4 is in some way shifting the burden of proof from the Department to the claimant and that a negative...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I stated that I accepted the constructive way in which they were put.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: To answer Deputy Ó Snodaigh, as is the case for all staff in the Department, the need for medical assessors is kept under constant review. Everybody in the House realises that while we have quite a young population at present, we face very large challenges in the future, and it will have to be reviewed by future Governments as time goes on. As the make-up of the population changes...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Deputies for their contribution. As Deputy Collins said, we debated this extensively on Committee Stage. The Public Appointments Service recently conducted a competition to recruit permanent medical assessors for the Department. Following that competition, ten doctors were placed on the panel. One doctor has since withdrawn from it and four of them will start on 27 April. In...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: That is not the intention of the Department. There are obvious benefits in being able to use agency medical assessors as required in the case of a backlog. It does not make sense to recruit them on a permanent basis in the long term. Why establish additional services we do not need long term? However, we are committed to keeping the current demand of 25 permanent medical assessors in...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Order for Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (31 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding or severe weather. The...