Results 1,381-1,400 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: JobBridge was introduced in July 2011 as a rapid response to the sharp increase in unemployment resulting from the unprecedented collapse in the economy. Since then over 18,500 Host Organisations have provided internship opportunities to over 46,500 unemployed jobseekers. Independent research indicates that circa 60% of jobseekers who participated in JobBridge progressed into paid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for Community Employment (CE) places under on-going review to ensure that they are effective in targeting long-term unemployed jobseekers and other specific disadvantaged groups. The eligibility rules and maximum durations allowed for participants are strictly enforced to allow the maximum number of people to benefit from the opportunity of a CE...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is considered the "safety net" within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance Administration (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together. Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. Following the outcome of a review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for low income farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2016 amount to €44.3m. This level of funding will allow the scheme to continue along the same...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (26 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The objective of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. Administration of BTEA by this Department is aligned with the student support schemes under the Department of Education and Skills. The Allowance enables social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (21 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department, including through its Homeless Persons Unit and Asylum Seekers & New Communities Unit in Dublin, works collaboratively with local authorities, Government agencies and the voluntary sector in assisting homeless persons to access private rented accommodation. This ensures that, where possible, people are diverted away from homeless services and towards community-based...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The community services programme (CSP) provides valuable resourcing for service delivery undertaken by not-for-profit companies and co-operatives in communities around the country. Funding of €46m has been provided for the programme in 2016 which will maintain the current level of activity. Given the restrictions on resources, the Department has been unable to make an open call for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department provides funding to Community Employment (CE) scheme sponsors with which it has a contract under four sub-headings - participant allowances, supervision, training/development, and materials. All consumable services and materials necessary for the effective operation of the project will normally be considered for approval, including such items as employers and public...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the JobsPlus incentive provides for a direct monthly payment to employers who recruit employees from the Live Register and those transitioning into employment. It provides two levels of payment - €7,500 or €10,000 over two years - paid in monthly instalments provided the employment is maintained. The rate of payment depends on the length of time the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 46 together. Following the transfer of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department in 2011, the Department has re-engineered its business model and staffing resources to support the provision of integrated services across all business streams involved in the delivery of localised services. This included...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level. The objective of the scheme is to raise the educational and skill levels to enable jobseekers better access to the emerging needs of the labour market in line with Government activation strategy. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 84 together. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 57,600 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. There were over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during 2015 and over 3,000 during the first three months of 2016 showing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together. JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy – particularly the sharp increase in unemployment. The aim of the scheme was to help unemployed people to break the cycle whereby they could not get a job without experience, but could not get experience...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Housing Adaptation Grant (20 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The means tested housing adaptation grant for people with a disability and local authority home improvement loans, for persons who cannot get a loan from a bank or building society, are provided by local authorities and come within the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. This Department’s Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) scheme is not intended...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (14 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that will support people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. JobPath is one of the range of activation supports, including schemes such as Community Employment, catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers. Participants on JobPath receive intensive...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (14 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 46 and 65 together. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 57,600 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016 (with provisional outturn of over €311 million in 2015). There were over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Pensions (14 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform is responsible for issues relating to pension claims and reconvened the Community Sector High Level Forum in November 2015 to scope out the issue with the CE supervisor union representatives (SIPTU and Impact). These discussions are ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (14 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that will support people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. JobPath is one of the range of activation supports, including schemes such as CE and TÚS, catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers. In general, given the need to manage the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Severe Weather Events Expenditure (14 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding. In early December 2015,...