Results 2,361-2,380 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Income and Living Conditions: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will finish on this.

Income and Living Conditions: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am glad of the opportunity to conclude the debate on the Private Members' motion on income and living conditions and to support the Government's amendment. I have listened to and considered the points raised by the speakers from the Technical Group and noted the various reports that they have highlighted to support their arguments. Fundamentally, I believe the points they advance are...

Topical Issue Debate: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising the matter. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department has not made any changes recently to the arrangements that apply for seasonal workers who are in receipt of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance. I have been given a briefing note but, unfortunately, it does not cover the three items the Deputy has raised. In terms of having a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Periodic Payment Orders (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, regrets that she is unable to be present for this discussion today. She would like to thank the Senator for raising this important issue which gives her Department the opportunity to outline the progress made with respect to the introduction of periodic payment orders in cases of catastrophic injury. It is fair to say that...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Periodic Payment Orders (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: On behalf of the Minister, I apologise that she was not able to attend to participate in the debate. Within the answer she has clearly indicated that it will be done by the end of the year. The Government has given an undertaking that we will bring forward legislation during that period and fully intends to honour its commitment. It is the Minister's view that any scheme that introduces...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Home Repossession (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. The Minister regrets that she is unable to be present for the discussion. As the Senator may be aware, the county registrar is a legal professional officer of the Circuit Court. A person appointed to the role of county registrar is highly qualified and, for example, must have...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Home Repossession (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am also very angry, considering the financial mess we inherited in this country. It is easy for Senator Byrne to stand up here-----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Home Repossession (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I did not interrupt the Senator. It is not nice to be reminded of how Fianna Fáil left this country. I know the Senator gets angry when reminded, but we have had to tidy up this mess. Any order made by a county registrar is subject to appeal to the Circuit Court. There are no plans to amend the current legislation. The Senator showed a little fake anger. It is a pity his fake anger-----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Home Repossession (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: It is a pity his anger was not there when Fianna Fáil was bankrupting the country.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long-term on the live register. JobsPlus is biased in favour of those who are longer term unemployed. It provides employers with two levels of payment: €7,500 over two years where a jobseeker who is 12-24 months on the live register is recruited and €10,000 for each...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 70,700 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015. I am acutely aware...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (25 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people (defined as 12 months plus on the Live Register) and other disadvantaged persons (including those with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. CE helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 178, inclusive, together. I am pleased to say that considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of participants on the community employment (CE) drug rehabilitation scheme, the majority of which (two-thirds of participants) are in the Dublin region. At December 2014, there are 936 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together. In terms of the age profile of participants on Community Employment (CE): - Table 1 below provides the profile of participants on CE drug rehabilitation projects. At December 2014, 27% (257) are under 25 years of age. While the minimum age for participation on a standard CE programme is 25 years of age, this requirement has been reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: For persons of 55 years of age and over, the maximum cumulative duration for participation on Community Employment (CE) is six years. Therefore, if they have only completed three years to date, they have the potential to participate for a further three years on the programme. For persons who have exhausted their maximum duration on CE, and who are looking for other opportunities to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Further Education and Training Programmes Funding (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short-term training where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time or where a intervention is identified that can support individual jobseekers to access work opportunities. It is important to note that the scheme is not designed to provide general training for jobseekers. Access to the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I can confirm that there are persons still in receipt of dual social welfare payments (i.e. concurrent community employment (CE) allowances and certain social welfare payments). Budget 2012 announced the disqualification from certain payments while participating on CE. Up until 16thJanuary 2012, certain social welfare payments could be retained in part or in full while participating on CE....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There has been no reduction in the level of funding allocated for the Local Employment Service (LES) for 2015 and there has been no reduction in the funding allocation of any individual LES. The Deputy may be referring to a change to the funding of support grants that are provided to jobseekers to assist them with certain minor costs involved in getting back to work but the level of such...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 214 together. The rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are currently approximately 70,700 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (24 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department of Social Protection is not currently undertaking a review of the contractual arrangements between community employment (CE) supervisors and their employers CE Sponsoring Organisations.