Results 12,621-12,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots, which aims to be operational from January 2022. Procurement for the second phase, which will roll out services across the State, will commence shortly....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body under the aegis of my Department, which funds and supports the South Leinster Citizens Information Service company which in turn has responsibility for the provision of information, advice and advocacy services in its geographic area, which encompasses Co. Wicklow. I have been informed by CIB that the Citizens Information Centres in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As Minister for Social Protection, I am required to have an actuarial review of the social insurance fund undertaken at five yearly intervals. The review takes account of the adequacy or otherwise of the contributions to the fund to support benefits and other payments as well as other matters relevant to the current and future financial condition of the fund. The most recent actuarial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce a number of changes to the means testing of social welfare schemes as part of Budget 2022. While some of these measures will be brought forward in the Social Welfare Bill, others will be implemented by way of statutory instrument and others relate to non-statutory schemes. These measures include: - In recognition of the vital role carers play in society, I am...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 89 and 102 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 them....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 34, 37, 71, 77, 82, 86, 103, 106, 108 and 116 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency response to an almost complete economic shutdown. The Government mandated public health restrictions meant that the hundreds of thousands of employees and self-employed did not have alternative employment options. Since then...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Impact Assessment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Poverty Impact Assessment on reduced rates of jobseeker allowance for young jobseekers aged 18-24 years was carried out further to the requirement as set out in Part 2 Section 7 of The Social Welfare (No 2) Act 2019 which requires that it shall be presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. A copy of the report was provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 35, 65 and 70 together. The Programme for Government commits to introducing a pensions automatic 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ‘Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025’, which was launched in July, outlines the Government’s new employment services strategy to support those who have lost jobs, or are otherwise unemployed, in transitioning into employment. Budget 2022 reflects Government's commitment to deliver on this Strategy. An additional €185m has been allocated to fund a variety of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The table below provides the number of Fuel Allowance recipients by scheme name, as at the end of October 2021, as requested by the Deputy. Primary Payment Recipients State Pension (Contributory) 77,499 Disability Allowance 76,987 State Pension (Non-Contributory) 54,532 Long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 50 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The development of services and policies to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities operates through a cross government framework which includes all relevant departments, agencies and, importantly, representatives of the disability sector, under a number of key national strategies and action plans. The two main national strategies in this area are the National...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Data on the number of persons who received at least one Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) in 2021, and who have applied for a Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit claim on or after July 8th 2021 is set out in the following table. Note that Jobseeker's Benefit figures are inclusive of applications for Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self Employed. Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the Government adopted its new employment services strategy, ‘Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025’, in July. This strategy, which represents Government’s overall framework for activation and employment support policy, aims to assist those whose jobs have been lost due to COVID-19 to return to the workforce, along with those who were unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of similar employment services across. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There have not been any funds allocated to the Department of Social Protection arising from seizure of assets by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of similar employment services across the State....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the employment situations of thousands since its onset in March 2020. While the vast majority of those displaced have already returned to work since the easing of public health restrictions earlier this year, I am acutely conscious that many individuals still in receipt of State income supports will require assistance to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...