Results 13,301-13,320 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Of course, the death of a child is a tragedy and the difficulties that parents and families experience as a result cannot be overstated. Within the social welfare system, there are a number of supports for people who suffer a bereavement. In particular, there is an arrangement known as the six weeks' payment after death, which allows for certain...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wanted to outline a number of existing reports in my initial reply, but I take on board the points the Deputy is making. She is talking about a different and new type of payment. I will look at the issue because there is merit in what the Deputy is saying. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to a person. The heartbreak is unimaginable. People in those circumstances need...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. My Department is at an advanced stage in its first phase of the two-phase procurement for regionally based employment services. The procurement has two key goals. First, it will see a significant expansion across the State of employment services for those furthest from the labour market. The regional employment services will have a strong focus...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will agree that I recognise the good work being carried out by our LES providers throughout the country. I take this opportunity to assure the Deputy, and to put on record, that the Government recognises the great work being carried out by many of our LES providers. They do great work in helping people with career guidance, CVs, interview preparation, upskilling and training...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As we know, the current cost-met model is cumbersome and involves a lot of administration for everybody, both for LES providers and the Department. It is an out-of-date model and it means significant time and effort is spent submitting evidence for all itemised expenditure. We want to ensure the time is better spent dealing with people who need our help and working with those people who...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Within three weeks of the PUP being launched, more than 500,000 people were in payment. In the initial two months to the end of April, my Department processed some 900,000 claims. The delivery of the scheme on such a scale and in such a short time represented a major achievement by my Department. The recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that in-person appointments are available at all Intreo centres and that all of these center's are open 5 days per week, as are our branch offices. Offices are open for walk-in service each morning and appointment all day to 5pm. If a person wishes to make an in-person appointment for any of the Department's services, they can contact their local Intreo Centre...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In August 2021, the rate of unemployment for young people under 25 was just under 26% when using the Central Statistic's Office Covid-19 adjusted measure. Although this rate is high, it includes all those young people on PUP which, in August, included students - many of whom would not be considered unemployed as that term is commonly understood. Even allowing for their inclusion, the Covid...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming week, taking account of available resources. The Central Statistics Office, in its most recent statistical release on prices, shows that the average level of prices over the 12 months to August 2021, as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, was broadly the same as for the 12...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department published a request for tenders on the 26 May last to introduce the new Regional Employment Services model into seven counties where a Local Employment Service does not exist. We are 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 the existing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has committed to the continued support of working parents to achieve a better work-life balance. Parent’s Leave and Benefit falls into this category and encourages the sharing of parental responsibilities equally between couples. Parent’s benefit is paid at a weekly flat rate of €245 for five weeks to employed and self-employed people who avail of parents...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (7 Oct 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: State Pensions (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Low income farmers are not locked out of State pension schemes. As with all other persons, farmers can avail of the State Pension (Contributory) scheme if they have sufficient PRSI contributions. People on low incomes, including farmers, may alternatively qualify for the State Pension (Non-Contributory) (SPNC), which is a means-tested pension, financed by the Exchequer, and paid at up to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am very aware of the pressures, financial and otherwise, that having a child in hospital can place on parents. As the two main hospitals that treat children are based in the Dublin area, this often involves parents having to travel distances and to stay close to the hospital concerned. My Department provides supports that can be accessed where a need arises as a result of a child being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming days, taking account of available resources. My Department provides a range of income supports to carers through the Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Carer's Support Grant and Domiciliary Care Allowance schemes. In total, it is estimated that my Department will spend almost €1.5...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department funds work undertaken by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice to develop and calculate the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL). My officials work closely with the MESL team and I find this work very useful in informing policy. The outputs from this research complement data produced from other analyses such as the Survey on Income and Living Conditions produced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Prices (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 83, 89 and 93 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Prices (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. With regard to income supports my Department provides a range of schemes to assist with energy costs. These include - - The Fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Prices (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 56 and 79 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming days, taking account of available resources. A series of evidence-based, targeted measures were introduced in the last two Budgets, to ensure the most vulnerable were protected. Many recipients of Disability Allowance will have benefitted from these measures, which included an increase in...