Results 381-400 of 1,041,243 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: We move to Question No. 10 which is also in the name of Deputy Naughten.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Question No. 9 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Employment Support Services

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: 10. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to increase part-time employment participation levels among those in receipt of jobseekers payments from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37489/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: This question has come up consistently at our Oireachtas committee from people who are involved in the caring profession such as home support workers, home helps and staff such as those. They find it very difficult to get staff to take on these roles and the social welfare rules, where someone can only work for up to three days per week, acts as a barrier.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department delivers a range of supports to help people in receipt of a jobseekers payment to secure and sustain full-time employment. The Intreo employment service works with jobseekers on an individualised basis to identify skills, work experience and work preferences with a view to matching people to suitable job opportunities and to address skills gaps or training needs by referring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: The problem is that this concept of working three days per week comes from when I was in short pants. The reality is someone can work up to 24 hours per week and still receive a social welfare payment if he or she does it over three days. However, if someone works two hours per day as a home help for five days per week, he or she cannot get it. The difficulty is that if he or she is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy mentioned the case of people who want to do home help work for two or three hours per morning five days per week as opposed to working for three full days. This issue has been raised with me by these organisations as well. The aim is to get people into full-time work, not to subsidise employers because that could have unintended consequences. There are more people working...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: The fact is that under the social welfare code as it stands a person can work for eight hours per day, three days per week - that is, 24 hours of work - and still receive a social welfare support under the jobseeker's payment. However, a person cannot work for four hours per day, five days per week. He or she is denied it even though they are working four hours fewer per week as a result of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I have considered this issue but I do not want to be in the position where we are subsidising employers to give people fewer hours either. I want to be conscious of that and we have looked at many different ways to incentivise people to get back to full-time work because that is where we want them. I know this is an issue and it is certainly something we have looked at. I will look at it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: I refer to the publication last August in Nature Medicine by Dr. Al-Aly and his team. He works in Washington University with veterans. They looked at studies all over the globe on long Covid. They made the point that recovery rates are extremely low after one year. Medical officers in the Minister's Department based in Longford have been taking a flexible approach in relation to patients...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I have not seen the report to which the Deputy referred. I know he has done a great deal of work representing people with long Covid. He has highlighted the issue on many occasions. I too have met people in my constituency office who told me they still feel the effects of Covid and are unable to do the same things physically they could before they had it. There are a number of existing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: I will come back to the report again. One of the points made in the report is that there needs to be streamlining of disability benefit processes. I accept that schemes are available from the Minister's Department but it would be better if it was clearly defined on the Department's website, "If you have the symptoms of long Covid for a period of time, these are the options available to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In fairness to most employers, generally they try to be flexible because my attitude has always been, if you give a little you usually get far more back. Partial capacity payment should perhaps be promoted more; I accept that. To be fair to the Department of Social Protection, it is good at telling people the options available to them when it replies to them. We will make sure they are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2024)

Questions Nos. 3, 5 and 6 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions (24 Sep 2024)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Social Welfare Code

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: 8. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider allowing discretion on the 18.5 hours per week employment exemption, under the carer's allowance scheme, in circumstances in where it has no impact on the level of care provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37486/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Denis Naughten: It is like a dose of Epsom salts at the moment. I have taken up with the Minister before the issue of the 18.5-hour cap on someone in receipt of the carer's allowance. I have given examples of cases in which the child for whom the carer is caring is in education and the carer could work for more than 18.5 hours a week. The Department should allow flexibility in that limited number of cases...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable role family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the programme for Government and the national carers’ strategy. My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit, domiciliary care...