Results 401-420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: We were able to pay €665 million.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is correct. The surplus we have now in the Social Insurance Fund is about €7.5 billion.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In total. There is a €3 billion surplus this year-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: -----after we pay out. With that accumulating on top of what is already there, it is a €7.5 billion surplus.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This has fascinated me, too. I asked the exact same questions the Deputy has asked. I understand we have more than was projected in the last review of the Social Insurance Fund, which I believe was in 2015.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I apologise, it was published in 2020. I always go back to see what was said 15 or 20 years ago because I am always told the short-term projections may not be as accurate but the long-term projections are always right. The 2020 report had not anticipated quite such a surplus in the Social Insurance Fund, but we have 2.7 million people working and we have never had so many in the workforce....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is absolutely right. If we did not have the contribution of people who are coming to this country and working and contributing to our Social Insurance Fund, we would not have huge surpluses we have today. There are 500,000 working immigrants who are paying PRSI. I had a figure at one stage but I believe they have contributed €1.6 billion or €2 billion to the...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: We need to keep the young people coming forward and contributing to keep the pensioners.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I would probably give two or three.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I will start at the last point first. The means test is something we have discussed on a number of occasions. I am on the same page as Deputy Ó Cuív on this. I think we could make some very small changes that would make a huge difference but before we can make those changes we had to carry out this review. We have over 90 schemes and a significant number are means tested. Each...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It is good practice to do that. However, that is a case that does come to mind. Many people have been in my constituency office about this and you feel sorry for them in many respects, and it is mainly women. They find that they have no income of their own because of that rule. It is something I would like to address at some stage, if possible. The Christmas bonus requires a Government...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In 2011 and 2012, we did not do so but generally we do. That is the way the system is and the Deputy knows it has been working that way for a long time. The other thing was the lump sum payments. They really do make a difference.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It is a few bob in people’s pockets and it is the same thing with the Christmas bonus. People go shopping. There are always pressures at Christmas time and it does help. The Deputy also mentioned the child benefit. He is correct that we need to support families, including working families, and children. In this regard, the hot school meals programme has been very successful....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The 1930s. That is going back a good bit. I remember the child benefit coming to my own house. It was my mother’s money and that was it. It was well minded and well spent. It was spent on the children. I was speaking to somebody last night who said the benefit does make a difference. It just allows people to get the extra things or supports they need for their children, such as...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: -----figures we now have mean we are in a happy position of surplus. Having said that, the Deputy knows I have taken action through very small increases in PRSI. That is the right thing to do-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: -----and this is the right time to do it. For the next five years, we have a very clear pathway on PRSI and how we can provide for the future in this regard. It will not always be like this. The Deputy and I are around long enough to know that and we need to prepare for the rainy day.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I agree with the Deputy on that. We have paid out the lump sum. We paid two lump sums last year and gave the spring bonus. The payments are being made available again this year. It will be up to the next Government, of course, to address this. The payments are having a huge impact in reducing poverty. They certainly have a place in people’s pockets and, as we know, it would be...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. On the first issue regarding the poverty assessment, the CSO measures consistent poverty. As per the CSO's analysis, one-off measures do reduce consistent poverty and those at risk of poverty. Consistent poverty as measured by the latest SILC survey is at its lowest ever level, at 3.6%. The at-risk-of-poverty level would have been at 13% without the one-off measures....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I will come back in on that. As regards the carer's allowance, the Department needs a lead-in time to undertake reviews of the means test and to contact people whose payment might be affected to give them the opportunity to update the means data the Department has on them. Basically, while we can change the IT systems quickly, we have to apply the changes to every individual claim and we...