Results 2,481-2,500 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Senator makes an excellent point but we have to ensure we provide an excellent service. If we do not carry out those random surveys we have no idea whether the 1.4 million people receiving a payment every week are receiving the right payment at the right time. This is part of the testing of procedures. I will take on board the Senator’s suggestion and will look at the letter...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Creation (28 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Support for job creation in all sectors, including the social economy, is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. I understand that the Deputy’s question is broader in nature and relates to supports that are available to not-for-profit companies and organisations under various work placement and training programmes. The key programme providing supports to the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Activation Projects (27 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not want to predetermine the outcome of the evaluation. I take on board the Senator's evaluation on how she has seen it operate within her area. That may be the same across the 14 schemes, but we have yet to complete that evaluation. From the beginning, we wanted to identify elements that could be mainstreamed and included in the current system. This was not about setting up 14...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Activation Projects (27 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Senator. I know she has a long-term commitment to the area of disability,. Many Members of the Seanad have raised different issues relating to disability and I acknowledge the work the Senator and other Members do within this area. They regularly raise very important issues that are similar to this issue and always do so in a very constructive manner. DACT is jointly funded...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (27 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department’s activation measures continue to play a major role in consolidating Ireland’s economic recovery. Jobseekers continue to choose JobBridge internships as a means of increasing their skills and work experience and improving their chances of returning to employment. There are currently 6,271 individuals on JobBridge internships. The majority of internships...

Report on the Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Motion (23 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I probably cannot compete with Deputy Boyd Barrett's eloquence. I pay tribute to the quality of the submissions to the committee. I pay tribute to the Chairman who did an exceptionally good job to ensure everybody had a chance to contribute. It was a very warm summer when we were in the committee room Friday after Friday week after week going through every sector and listening to them very...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (22 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 was enacted on 4 December 2014. The Act includes provisions to clarify what constitutes a “place that is open to the public”. This is to ensure that the public policy objectives with regard to the solemnisation of marriages in both outdoor and indoor venues are upheld. The Act contains a wide range of provisions and these will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (22 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €27.9m for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2015. Statistics are maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (22 Jan 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 71,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015. Rent supplement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (22 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The mainstreaming of CE school services was outlined under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) and made provision for all schools to have access to school services, with the objective of creating new employment opportunities in these areas and enhance the employment opportunities available to CE participants. The process of withdrawal of CE services from schools began in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (22 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Participants on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús – the community work placement initiative – are paid via a central payroll system operated under an arrangement with Pobal. Additionally, Pobal provide a data collection and information support service to the Department in respect of the operation of Tús. The Department has no plans to alter the existing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Following the transfer of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department in 2011, the Department has re-engineered its business model to support the provision of integrated services across all business streams involved in the delivery of localised services. As part of this strategy, the Department is engaged in the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (21 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: A lone parent 25 years of age or over, currently in receipt of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP), for a period of 12 months or more can participate on CE, on the Part-time Integration Option (PTI). Where a lone parent is aged 35 and under 55 and unemployed for 3 years or more, and may require more long-term support their annual contract may be renewed for up to 3 years (Part-time Job Option...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (21 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The current practice on Community Employment (CE) is that participants interested in taking up a health and social care place, or other place on CE, are assessed by the scheme regarding their suitability for the post, following a referral from their local DSP/Intreo Office. As the employer, CE Sponsors select from a candidate list provided to them by DSP Employment Services and the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (21 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The current practice on Community Employment (CE) is that participants interested in taking up a CE place are assessed by the CE Scheme regarding their suitability for the post, following a referral from their local DSP/Intreo Office. As the employer, CE Sponsors select from a candidate list provided to them by DSP Employment Services and the Local Employment Service. An interview panel must...

Topical Issue Debate: One-Parent Family Payments (20 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy has asked numerous questions which I am not going to be able to answer in the time allowed. In that context, I suggest he submit his queries to the Department by way of parliamentary questions and I will ensure they answered in full. On the issue of using the Scandinavian model, the provision of child care services and future plans in this regard are matters for my colleague,...

Topical Issue Debate: One-Parent Family Payments (20 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and affording me the opportunity to provide the Dáil with a response. Since its introduction in 1997, the one-parent family payment scheme, which provides an important income support to lone parents, has been passive in nature. This has engendered long-term social welfare dependency and associated poverty among many lone-parent families. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (20 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment in County Longford, as with the rest of the country, is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery, by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. However, the Government also recognises the need for additional measures to address unemployment in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (20 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: JobPath is the Government’s new labour market activation service aimed specifically at supporting the long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long term unemployed, with the primary objective of assisting such persons to gain sustained employment. JobPath will both augment and complement the Department’s internal activation services as well as such services...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (20 Jan 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from the Live Register and those transitioning into employment. It provides employers with two levels of payment - €7,500 or €10,000 over two years - paid in monthly instalments provided the employment is maintained. The rate of payment depends on the length of time the person is...