Results 14,781-14,800 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Websites (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to making the information on all its websites accessible to all, regardless of ability. In order to achieve this, we have designed our websites to follow guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The W3C WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) produces accessibility guidelines that are an internationally recognised benchmark of accessibility.Our...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Websites (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is committed to making the information on all its websites accessible to all, regardless of ability. In order to achieve this, we have designed our websites to follow guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The W3C WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) produces accessibility guidelines that are an internationally recognised benchmark...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 12 October 2020. An application for State pension (contributory) was received on 23 April 2021. Determination of pension eligibility depends on the individual nature of an applicant’s circumstances. From the information available to my Department, the person concerned has a self-employment record since the 1995/96 tax year. Under social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Deserted wife’s benefit (DWB) is a social welfare payment, introduced in 1973 for women who were deserted by their husbands.The scheme has been closed to new applicants from 2 January 1997, following on the introduction of the one parent family payment. Entitlement to DWB is based on the social insurance contribution record of the person claiming the benefit or that of her husband....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Deserted wife’s benefit (DWB) is a social welfare payment, introduced in 1973 for women who were deserted by their husbands.The scheme has been closed to new applicants from 2 January 1997. Entitlement to this benefit is subject to a gross earnings limit of €20,000 per annum for claim made on or after 31 August 1992.For claims made before this date, no income limit applies....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: On 1stJune Government announced its National Economic Recovery Plan to support the reopening of the country as it recovers from Covid-19. Government acknowledges that some sectors will continue to be impacted and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme will be extended beyond 30 June 2021 for existing claimants who continue to be eligible for payment. To allow as much time as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I can confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of CA in respect of her husband from 19 February 2015. The Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There are currently 26 staff on secondment from my Department. 5 of the staff in question are in receipt of allowances in respect of the work that they are undertaking while on secondment. In accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform rules, during periods of secondment, staff maintain their terms and conditions of employment including their civil service grade and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of supports and grants to assist persons with disabilities to gain employment and to give financial support to employers. These schemes are outlined below. The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability. The work offered must be for a minimum of 21 hours per week and the subsidy is available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 895, 896 and 897 together. People with a disability who are self-employed, or considering self-employment, cannot avail of the Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS). This provision also applies to directors of limited companies who work as paid employees in their company. The WSS is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I refer the Deputy to my response to recent similar questions (PQ 29106/21 on 31/5/2021, PQs 27906/21 and 27905/21 on 25 May 2021). In accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) rules, civil and public servants on secondment to other bodies maintain their terms and conditions of employment including salary during their period of secondment. Any additional payments...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department’s EmployAbility Services are currently delivered under contract by 24 different organisations located around the state and each contract is reflective of the cost of that service in that contracted area. The total collective value of all contracts for 2021 is just over €10m. The estimated additional cost of increasing the collective contract values of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Ability Programme is a pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities. The funding for this programme will amount to around €16 million over a three-year period and is being provided jointly under the EU's ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) Operational Programme 2014-2020 and the Irish Exchequer. The programme will support over 2,600 young...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which applies to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a PhD. 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 available for a maximum of four...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which applies to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a PhD. 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 available for a maximum of four...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 April 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 29 April...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 April 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 29 April...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The new Benefit Payment for 65 year olds was introduced in fulfilment of a commitment in the Programme for Government to address the position of people who retire from employment at age 65. The scheme is designed primarily as an online service and the quickest way to apply for the Benefit Payment for 65 year olds is through the MyWelfare online service. While my Department fully accepts...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Claimants with cohabiting partners are recognised within the social welfare system as having additional needs in cases where their cohabiting partner is financially dependent upon them. The payment of an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) in addition to the personal rate of payment reflects these additional household needs. The IQA is payable in respect of a person who is wholly or mainly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises the additional difficulties people with disabilities experience in securing and maintaining paid employment. To this end, my Department has contracts for the provision of the Employability services to help address these difficulties. These services are currently delivered under contract by 24 different organisations located around the country. The total value of...