Results 13,341-13,360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: The National Fuel Allowance season for 2021/2022 commenced on 27 September 2021. The aim of the means-tested scheme is to help qualified households in receipt of certain social welfare payments with their winter heating costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards their normal heating expenses; it is not intended to meet these costs in full. Only one Fuel Allowance is paid per...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Community Welfare Service in my department delivers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The Divisional management team is responsible for the delivery of the service at...

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

Heather Humphreys: This week, 3,088 people in Co Louth will receive a PUP payment, a decrease of 82% compared to the peak of 17,114 on 05 May 2020. The table below sets out the Live Register for County Louth since the onset of the pandemic. Live Register: County Louth, March 2020 to August 2021 Month Persons Mar 2020 8,174 Apr 2020 8,374 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare Inspectors are appointed under the Social Welfare Acts to investigate and report on claims and to carry out inspections at employer premises to ensure that there is compliance with the PRSI scheme. An Inspector’s report is then used to inform the Deciding Officer, who is also appointed under the Social Welfare Acts to make decisions on claims based on all the facts and...

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

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Table: Persons who were in Receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who have transferred to Another Named Scheme as of 30th September 2021 Scheme People Community Employment 286 Jobs Plus 267 TÚS 19 Work...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties have no existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of employment services. Phase two of the process was to...

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

Heather Humphreys: I assume the Deputy is referring to the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP). WPEP is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025. It is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers who have been unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (7 Oct 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 the existing service providers over the last number of years. The Phase two procurement, to commence shortly, will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take...

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

Heather Humphreys: We are all aware of the importance of employment in supporting individuals, society and the economy. My Department is committed to assisting all individuals in society to prepare for and secure employment. I also understand that the path to employment is not the same for everyone and that additional help is required for those facing additional challenges and those in minority communities....

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

Heather Humphreys: Under Pathways to Work, Government's new employment services strategy, launched last July, my Department has put in place a wide range of measures to assist those out of work find new jobs. These measures, strengthened by increased capacity within the Public Employment Service, will allow us to provide those out of work with the guidance and support needed to re-enter the workforce. ...

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

Heather Humphreys: Latest estimates from the CSO indicate that the unemployment rate for young people is 19 percent using the traditional measure rising to almost 26 per cent when we use the CSO’s COVID-19 adjusted measure for the month of August. The latter rate, which includes those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), has fallen sharply from its 2021 peak of 61 per cent in January. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (7 Oct 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 (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an exceptional measure in response to the unprecedented impact on employment and earnings as a result of Government mandated public health measures. There are currently 2,978 customers in Co. Wicklow in receipt of the PUP. This is a reduction of 84% from the peak in May 2020 when 18,629 people in Co. Wicklow received the PUP....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (7 Oct 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. This...

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

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

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

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. Funding of €64.8 million has been made available for the scheme in 2021. The BTWEA is payable to self-employed individuals for a 24-month period from the commencement of their new business. All...

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

Heather Humphreys: Earlier this year, I signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which applies to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a Level 10 postgraduate course. It is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 per annum (i.e. if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000) and is...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in March 2020 to support employees and the self-employed who lost employment due to Covid-19. Expenditure on the scheme is over €8.7 billion to date. In line with the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan, the PUP is gradually changing using a tapered approach over a 6 month period from September 2021 until February 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (7 Oct 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 the existing service providers over the last number of years. The Phase two procurement, to commence shortly, will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take...