Results 12,641-12,660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: 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. The programme is an important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (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...

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

Heather Humphreys: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence is a cross government body of work involving Department of Justice, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and associated agencies. The co-ordination of the services addressing the needs of these...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits the Government to use this research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. This matter is significantly wider than my Department’s income support system...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 73 together. The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment. The Commission was an independent body comprised of knowledgeable and experienced academics, pension experts, members of civil society...

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

Heather Humphreys: The current procurement of public employment services follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers and employee representatives over the last number of years. On November 9th, my Department hosted a webinar for over 150 people with an interest in tendering for the ongoing procurement of employment services at which questions were taken for over an hour...

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

Heather Humphreys: Last year, the Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The Group is chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and includes legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice. The Group's Terms of Reference are to consider and...

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

Heather Humphreys: The death of a child is a tragedy and the difficulties experienced by parents and families as a result cannot be overstated. Within the social welfare system, there are a number of supports for people who suffer a bereavement involving a child. In particular, there are arrangements which allow for certain payments to continue for a period after a person dies. If a person is in receipt of a...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Farm Assist Scheme is an important income support for farmers on low incomes, enabling them to continue to farm while also receiving a State income support. This is important not just for the farmers concerned but for the rural communities in which they live and work. Under the scheme farmers can receive the equivalent of a jobseeker payment and also have access to secondary benefits...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. For clarity, I would like to state that my Department has sole responsibility for the functioning of public employment services both internally through my Department's Intreo service and through services contracted by the Department. My Department has had extensive engagement with a...

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

Heather Humphreys: 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. The programme is an important component of policies to...

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

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) from its introduction in March 2020 until its cessation in February 2022 will be almost €9.1 billion. This is made up as follows: - Actual expenditure of €4,983.7 million in 2020; - An estimated outturn of €4,023.2 million in 2021; - A provision of €75 million in 2022 as published in the 2022 Budget Day...

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

Heather Humphreys: At the end of September 2021 there were almost 156,000 persons in receipt of means tested disability payments from my Department, comprising 154,563 persons on Disability Allowance (DA) and 1,047 in receipt of the Blind Pension (BP). The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government is committed to ensuring that increases in the carbon tax will be progressive. This means protecting the most vulnerable in society from the impacts of the tax. In 2020; the ESRI examined the options available to offset the impacts of a carbon tax increase on low income households. In light of this research, the Government has committed to very significant...

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 the first phase of a two-phase procurement of new employment services, following extensive consultations with existing service providers over the last number of years. I can assure the Deputy that the new service is not a privatisation of employment services. Instead, it is a shift to competitive procurement as required by good governance and the...

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

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2022 included the announcement of €25 million to pilot a new Basic Income scheme for artists and arts workers, as reflected in the National Economic Recovery Plan. My colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead responsibility for this initiative. Her Department is examining the various options associated with introducing a pilot...

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

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. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all...

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 a two-phase procurement of new employment services. This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with existing service providers over the last number of years. The new model will extend high quality employment services across the State, deliver enhanced governance arrangements and provide successful...