Results 13,861-13,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The registration of births is undertaken by the HSE civil registration offices. Registration has been impacted by the recent cyber-attack on the HSE and the work to securely restore its ICT systems. Notifications of births must first be received from maternity hospital before a birth can be registered. For births which occurred in Dublin based maternity hospitals, notifications are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. The data refers to those receiving a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on July 27th 2021. Data on the recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is published each week by my Department at www.gov.ie/dsp Payment Rate Recipients €203 36,628 €250 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1164, 1179 and 1180 together. The PUP was introduced as an exceptional measure for employees and the self-employed who lost employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19. As more and more people return to work every week due to the gradual lifting of restrictions and continued progress on the roll out of vaccines, the requirement for emergency measures is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of all weekly social welfare schemes to €350, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults, is €9.8 billion. This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This costing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing all social welfare payments by €50 per week, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults is €3.9 billion. This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This costing is based on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: To accurately estimate the cost of providing a once off payment of €1,000 to essential workers, consideration would have to be given to which employees constitute essential workers and how they may be identified and verified as such for the purposes of any such payment. The CSO's quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) categorises all persons aged over 15 in employment in the State,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Rent Supplement provides short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The Department is currently reviewing performance on each of the Departments schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Reducing the State Pension Age to 65 years would increase pension related expenditure significantly. Last year my Department estimated the potential cost of introducing such a measure from this year (i.e., from 1 January 2021). Based on that, it is estimated that it would cost €450 million extra in the first year, €845 million extra in the second year, rising to over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: When the State Pension (Transition) existed, it was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to get a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years. The maximum personal rate was equivalent to the then maximum rate for the State Pension (Contributory). Eligibility was based on PRSI contributions and credits. It is important to note that the conditions and eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At present, the State pension system comprises two basic components. Firstly, the State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means-tested pension funded from taxation. Secondly, the State Pension (Contributory) is not means-tested but is based on social insurance (PRSI) contributions and paid from the Social Insurance Fund, and as such it is important to ensure that those qualifying for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: This Department prepares estimates for Rent Supplement for the coming year based on emerging trends on recipients for Rent Supplement having regard to anticipated transfers to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) over that year. Similarly, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage prepares annual expenditure estimates for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Until 2012, recipients of a Widow's or Widower's Pension or a One-Parent Family Payment who met all the qualifying conditions for Jobseeker's Benefit or Illness Benefit, were entitled to concurrently claim half payment of their Jobseeker's or Illness Benefit entitlement. The abolition, in Budget 2012, of the concurrent payment of half-rate Illness Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit, with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child benefit is currently paid to over 633,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive their weekly income support for the duration of a course of study. The main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing standard weekly social welfare payments (excluding temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment) to 2009 levels is €157.7 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: 1. The estimated cost of increasing the Fuel Allowance by two weeks, from 28 to 30 weeks is €21 million in a full year. 2. As the current weekly rates of payment are in excess of 2008 levels, no additional costs would arise. 3. No decision has been made in relation to paying the Christmas Bonus in 2021 and costings are not available at this time. Any costing would be dependent on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Support Grant (formerly called the Respite Care Grant) is an annual payment for carers who look after people in need of full-time care and attention. The grant is paid in a single annual lump sum, usually on the first Thursday in June. The grant is not means-tested and is not taxable. It is paid in respect of each care recipient. The Carer's Support Grant is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing all social welfare payments to €300 per week, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults, is €5.9 billion. This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This costing is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of granting a €1,000 bonus to all recipients of Carer's Allowance is €91.6 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage (27 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. My Department has partly funded the excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian Partnership for a number of years, and I find it extremely...