Results 4,321-4,340 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the committee members for the invitation to meet with them today and for their co-operation in ensuring we can present the 2023 Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Social Protection. I am seeking a Supplementary Estimate of €678 million for 2023, and the purpose of this is to address a shortfall in funding for my Department which is...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: The Deputy asked a good few questions there. If he has to ask them a second time, I will come back in in case I have missed some of them. He asked, first of all, about the contract employment services. Those contracts are in place. We have a reduced level. We have our Intreo partners and the long-term jobseekers. They look after about 40,000 in all. We need that flexibility because you...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Sorry, I missed that. The scheme was approved by Government in November 2009 and a fund of €10 million was available. There is about €7 million spent. Unfortunately, we have had a good few flooding events. The scheme was activated to support households affected by the different storms. It was initially activated for Cork, then it was extended to Louth and Galway. As the...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Yes, that is correct.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: The Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien, will deal with the question on CE, Tús and RSS, and I will take the rest.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: I will answer the question on the TPU first. The original cost was €480 million this year and we need an extra €25 million. Some 16,500 people are working.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: There are 16,500 people working. If the Deputy is asking for the total number who came in, I can tell him that about 99,000 came in, but they move. It involves all ages, and that includes children and pensioners. I have a breakdown from October which could be useful. There are 27,658 on jobseeker’s payments, 5,281 on the State pension non-contributory, 2,250 on the one-parent...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Yes, 30,000. That is right.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Those 16,000 are paying PRSI. They are working people. From my experience, and I am sure the Deputy’s is the same, most of them want to work. If we can help them, we will. Language is a barrier for some of them but we are trying to overcome that with the classes that are being rolled out. I will move on to the fuel allowance. I expanded the fuel allowance last year, as the...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: They do.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: We do it on a case-by-case basis, and we have consideration for those with large excesses. They get support for the simple reason that they have insurance, but they have a huge excess because of flooding in the area. The community welfare officer takes that into consideration.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. On the humanitarian scheme, a person's contribution depends on the means they have. The Deputy has a specific case that is similar to somebody having a huge amount of overtime. This Naval Service member is no longer deployed, so they do not have that income. If the Deputy sends details of that case on to me, I will be happy to look at it. In any of these things, it is...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: It is to get it started and up and running.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Yes.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: Yes.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: It reduces every three months, yes. I will be bringing that legislation through and we can talk about it then, but that is what I have got agreement for.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: On that basis, yes.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: On the PRSI question, obviously the economy is performing extremely well. What we have done is what I said I would do, which is to keep the pension age at 66 and set out gradual PRSI increases over the next five years. The first one is kicking in at 0.1% from 1 October. That will cover the pay-related benefit and keep the pension age at 66. We will do it at small amounts and gradually....
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: I am happy to have a look at it.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023) Heather Humphreys: The State pension age is now at 66 and that is the retirement date. I am happy to look at it but in solving one problem sometimes one could create a whole load more. I take the Deputy's point. I think of the cleaner and the hoover coming after. The person's back is broken and they are bent over. It is about how can we help those people. In the social welfare Bill I am bringing in, there...