Results 1,481-1,500 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: It is not good practice simply to allocate funds without an underlying rationale. Hence, the facility is being provided for those companies which need to make a case for additional supports. That process is being put in place. The schemes operating under that are being identified. The level of grant is not related to the value of the minimum wage. I have visited and spoken to those...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I hope to have the mechanism in place by the end of the month. That is what we are working towards and that is why we have been communicating with groups on the putting in place of the process. I want to return to the key point. The grant will be paid by the Department, regardless of whether I am here after the election. It is not related to the minimum wage. We want a social enterprise...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I repeat that through active engagement with the community welfare officer we have dealt with numerous cases. There have been over 6,000 cases and they have been dealt with on a case-by-case basis and in a very successful manner. There have been reforms in the private rental sector. Rent review notices have been introduced. Period of rent reviews, a temporary provision which applies for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: If we had followed the Deputy's advice, in many ways we would have been in a far worse position.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Now, there is hope. We now have money to invest in social housing, and that is being done. As I outlined, the total fund is over €900 million. A sum of €923 million is being invested in 2016 for the provision of social housing. There is €3.8 billion for the programme to supply social housing in the coming years. As the recovery is ongoing the discussion we should...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this. I have visited a number of community services programme, CSP, schemes over the last number of years and I have seen the positive impact of the programme on local communities. We have worked very closely with the community groups that operate it. The community services programme is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by the Department....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I congratulate Mr. Peter Finnegan on his appointment today. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 61,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. Properties are being secured under the scheme with over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during 2015. In view of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I hope the Deputy has advised that family not to wait a day to engage with the community welfare officer. Like the Deputy, I deal with this on a weekly, if not daily basis and there is a huge and severe problem relating to supply. This Government has provided over €900 million to be invested in the provision of social housing in 2016 and we will start seeing progress on that in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 36 and 179 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations which benefits approximately 217,000 children at a total cost of €39 million in 2015. An additional €3 million was allocated to the programme as part of Budget 2016, bringing the allocation to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homeless Persons Data (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The New Communities Unit (NCU) of the Department of Social Protection offers assistance to families who are primarily non-Irish, homeless and generally without recourse to any weekly income. The main focus of this unit is to ensure that families entitled to same receive a payment, under the terms of the relevant legislation, from the Department. In addition non-Irish homeless families have...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection operates a number of programmes and initiatives including Community Employment, Tús – the community work placement initiative, Gateway and the Rural Social Scheme. Various community services and activities are directly and indirectly supported by participants through these programmes and initiatives. Tús and Gateway were introduced and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection operates a number of programmes and initiatives including Community Employment, Tús – the community work placement initiative, Gateway and the Rural Social Scheme. These schemes are delivered locally by local authorities, local sponsoring groups, local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta (in Gaeltacht areas). Various...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: As outlined in reply to the Deputy’s questions Nos. 33251-15 of 29 September 2015, 35119-15 of 8 October 2015 and 38803-15 of 5 November 2015, the person concerned undertook to provide written confirmation of the loan she received to meet the funeral costs. As this documentation was not received, a decision was taken on 13 November 2015 to disallow the application. If the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 166 and 171 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €30.3...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: There are two schemes to assist people on certain social protection payments who wish to become self-employed; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The (STEA) provides immediate access to those who qualify for jobseekers benefit wishing to set up a business. Payment under the scheme is at the same rate and for the same duration...

Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh should sit down and stop being a bully.

Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Get on to the army council to keep them under control.

Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Is that the man behind the wire?

Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Did the Deputies get approval for it?

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (17 Dec 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations which benefits approximately 217,000 children at a total cost of €39 million. An additional €3 million was allocated to the programme as part of Budget 2016, bringing the total allocation to €42 million in 2016. There are two schemes operated...