Results 9,661-9,680 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department engaged with the Institute of Employment Studies and Social Finance in 2019 to research and develop best practice models for new employment services.  These bodies have established track-records of helping governments develop fit-for-purpose employment services.  My Department engaged with these consultants, ensuring their models were appropriately configured for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In 2018 Indecon, on behalf of the Department, undertook two detailed reviews into the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs.  These reviews made a series of recommendations on the design and operation of contracted public employment services. In 2019 my Department commissioned an independent review of the provision of employment advisory services, including JobPath, Local...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is committed to delivering an excellent customer service as pledged in its Customer Service Charter. My Department always aims to ensure that all customers are served in a fair, courteous, and timely manner, provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements and have their privacy respected.  The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment.  The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up  and stay in employment. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.  There have been a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The process in respect of all Jobseeker's Payments including part-time workers in the educational sector is kept under review.In general, there is no delay in processing Jobseeker Benefit claims if the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation are completed by the customer in a timely manner. Issues have arisen in the past where details of accrued holiday pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year.  The allowance is payable for eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Health Services Staff (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The South East Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force is administered by the HSE. This is therefore a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,800 schools and organisations benefitting 290,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Disablement Benefit is one of the benefits payable under the Occupational Injuries scheme to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or prescribed occupational disease, on or after 1 May 1967.  In order to qualify for Disablement Benefit, the person must be in employment which is insured at PRSI Class A, B, D, J or M. I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Pensions (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There are currently a total of 7 abatements of pension for staff members in my Department, as follows – Full abatement Partial abatement 3 4

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department received correspondence from the person concerned on 21 April 2022, notifying a change of circumstances regarding her  disability allowance (DA). The application was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 16 May 2022 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. The SWI report was submitted to the department on the 07 July...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this lady on 06 April 2022. Based on the evidence supplied in support of this person’s application, her application for DA was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied.  The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 11 May...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Chapter 2 of Part 10 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and the Social Welfare (Appeals) Regulations 1998  sets down the roles, powers, and functions of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The role of the Department's Decisions Advisory Office (DAO) is to support line sections in seeking to ensure that decisions made on social welfare claims are consistent and of good quality. The DAO provides advice to scheme areas in complex cases and detailed guidelines on decision-making and relevant legislative provisions across the organisation. At the end of 2020 the Department moved...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla.   More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role.  Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system includes a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...