Results 2,221-2,240 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Staffing (26 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I certainly do. I was asked to respond to a particular matter, which I did. I would be quite happy to come back for a Commencement matter to discuss rural Ireland, as would the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Ann Phelan. When the Minister changed the criteria for two, three and four teacher schools, it was widely welcomed. A positive...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects (26 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 to 49, inclusive, together. There are 1,000 drug rehabilitation places ring-fenced on Community Employment (CE). As of December 2014, there are 936 referred clients (292 female, 644 male) on drug rehabilitation schemes and 220 support workers (117 female, 103 male). There has been no change to the CE Budget for Drug Rehabilitation places in 2015 over...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I realise you have ruled the amendment out of order but if we do not accept section 1, we would delay section 4, which is the extension of jobseeker's allowance to transitional arrangements. It would also delay section 6, which is the back-to-work dividend. It is difficult to speak to a motion that is ruled out of order, but I heard what the Deputy said in that regard. At a later stage,...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I move amendment No. 2:In page 5, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:"Definitions 2. In this Part—“Act of 2010” means the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010; “Principal Act” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.". The amendments involve minor changes to the Bill to include additional definitions in section 2. Amendment No. 2...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I move amendment No. 3:In page 5, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: "Definition of medical assessor and consequential amendments 3. (1) Section 2(1) of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following definitions:" 'employment agency' has the same meaning as it has in the Employment Agency Act 1971; 'medical assessor' means— (a) an officer of the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We have had a problem in recruiting and retaining assessors. This provision will facilitate a speedier process and provide for the recruitment of additional assessors who will I hope deal with backlogs when they occur. The backlog is 12 weeks and it is our intention to reduce it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Many of the issues raised were discussed during the debate on the Private Members' Bill introduced by Deputy O'Dea regarding the setting of minimum times for appeal, during which debate statistics and analysis in that regard were put on the record of the House. During that debate, I made the point to Deputy O'Dea that at every step of the process provision is made for submission of...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Yes. The Department has sought to recruit additional medical assessors. Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to the UK experience. However, that is not the intention here. The staff will be trained and embedded in the Department. The intention is that these staff will be in addition to the current complement. We are experiencing a particular problem in regard to retirements and retention....

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not read many of the UK papers. There is no question of a target for refusal of applications being introduced. That does not form part of the process. There is no intention to introduce here the British mechanism referred to by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. We have reduced waiting times significantly over recent times. It is our intention to continue to reduce waiting times further. On...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I can only speculate but I imagine a person wishing to progress into a more specialised area would choose to work part time through an agency until such time as he or she has decided on the speciality area in which he or she wishes to work. I would say there are a wide range of reasons medical doctors work for agencies. They are certainly in high demand in Ireland and across the water.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The assessors are not over-riding or questioning the diagnosis. The diagnosis is done by the doctor. It is the overall picture. The diagnosis is not questioned. If someone is seriously ill, the doctor will diagnose that. We will certainly look at the point raised by Deputy Collins. However, customers are advised to provide all the necessary information at the application stage. If...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will try to be helpful on this issue, although I might cause more confusion. The certification determines a person’s eligibility, but there are in the Bill aspects to determining eligibility other than those associated with medical practitioners.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Within qualifications for different elements, there are means tests, etc.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The wording of the amendments is such that the general practitioner will certify or determine a person’s eligibility. I am just trying to be helpful. The Deputy may resubmit the amendment on Report Stage.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Collins referred to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The legislation was always the same. It refers to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 but the provision mentioned was there previously. I believe that is the reference she asked about but I will check that further for the Deputy. Deputy O'Dea said the situation is getting more difficult and referred to the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Those are the figures. We have seen an increase of 21% from 2014 to 2016 in the number of people awarded the carer's benefit payment. On the figures the Deputy requested, a substantial number of additional people were awarded benefit in 2014 over the number awarded benefit in 2010. I do not what the percentage increase was but nearly 4,000 more applicants were awarded benefit in 2014...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: No, but we will remind people of the dictionary definition of the word included.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: In regard to that detail, in terms of the debate that took place about a change in the onus, my understanding is that there is not a change in the onus.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am getting the detail on that. The current wording did not reflect the operation of the process, so the current wording was changed to reflect the way the Department has always operated in this regard.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will give Deputy Collins the detail on that.