Results 12,161-12,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities.  However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events, such as flooding, under the humanitarian assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) provides individuals with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment.  The Scheme is not intended to provide the  basis for extended participation in education and for this reason the circumstances in which BTEA can be approved for postgraduate studies are limited....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.  For the purposes of the means-test, from application stage through the lifetime of a claim, an applicant must...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Turas Nua is one of two companies contracted to deliver the JobPath employment advisory and assistance service, as part of the State's Public Employment Service. JobPath provides employment assistance and advice to the long-term unemployed to assist them secure full-time paid employment. JobPath is a payments by results model with payments consisting of an initial registration fee and four...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: JobPath is an employment advisory and assistance service that is a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs are borne by the companies.  The companies are paid on the basis of performance and with the exception of the initial registration fee; payments are made only when a client has achieved sustained employment.  The overall cost of JobPath will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: JobPath was contracted to provide employment assistance and advice to jobseekers. Performance is recorded through the outcomes of those who participated in the services and other than a small initial registration fee, the contractors receive payments on the basis of persons gaining and sustaining employment. While it is not a job placement service it has a proven track record of providing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.  Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 914 and 915 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 3 December 2021.  Under social welfare legislation the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, most of whom - particularly the carers of incapacitated children – are women.  This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Subject to the standard qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12 November 2021.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.  These papers were received in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10 November 2021.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.  Those papers were received...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 25 August 2021.  A person can be considered to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without their disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months.  The person concerned was notified on the 10th December 2021 that DCA has been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without their disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months.  An application for DCA was received from the person concerned on the 23rd July...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the person referred to by the Deputy.  A letter issued to her on 11th January 2022 providing her with her PPSN. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 924 and 925 together. The Programme for Government commits to introducing a pension auto-enrolment (AE) system.  The objective of this commitment is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions. According to CSO figures, the rate of supplementary pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.  In March 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 933, 964 and 1006 together. 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 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: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I proposed to take Questions Nos. 934, 938, 939, 965, 969, 1007, 1011 and 1012 together. Detailed information on scheme recipients, including recipients by county, are published each year by my Department in the Annual Statistical Report on Social Welfare Services, which is available at gov.ie/dsp/statistics.  The Annual Statistical Report on Social Welfare Services in respect of 2021...