Results 15,321-15,340 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the person in question received all increments on the Executive Officer scale which applied in their employment with the Department. (The last maximum increment was paid in 2001 in accordance with the entitlements of the officer at that time.. ) Separately, an additional enquiry raised by the Deputy will be responded to by my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department identified the following number of data breaches in each of the past five years and to date in 2021. Year Number of data breaches 2016 57 2017 108 2018 226 2019 371 2020 508 2021 262 My Department takes data...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,570 recipients (end April 2021). The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The number of customers treated under the PRSI Dental Treatment Benefit Scheme, and the total paid to dentists for their work on the scheme, in the years 2017 to 2020 inclusive are detailed below. Year Claim volume Value in euro 2017 417,336 15.29 million 2018 804,375 46.91 million 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as a statutory income support for qualifying employees and the self -employed, who lost employment due to Covid-19. The total cost to date is over €7.6 billion reflecting Government’s absolute commitment to support to those affected by the pandemic. Government has confirmed that this support will continue until 30th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Bereavement Grant, which was a payment of €850 made where the deceased or his/her surviving partner was an insured contributor to the social insurance fund, was discontinued and is not paid for deaths occurring on or after 1 January 2014. However there are a range of supports available from my Department for people following a bereavement.   Under the supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (18 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Customers are entitled to apply for a Jobseekers' payment while on reduced hours.  However, entitlement to a Jobseekers' payment is subject to the normal qualifying conditions as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, including Section 62. Entitlement to a casual/part-time Jobseeker's or Short-Time Work Support payment for any day depends, among other things, on whether or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Programme for Government (18 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The total cost of my Department's Special Investigation Unit in 2020 amounted to €7.25 million.  This includes costs in respect of Gardaí on secondment.  During 2020, the Special Investigation Unit carried out some 65,400 case investigations across all of the Department’s schemes. As of the 7th May 2021, some 1,200 employers have contacted the Department through...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Short-Time Work Support is a form of Jobseeker's Benefit and is an income support payment for people who have been temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer i.e. where for the time being the number of days systematically worked in a working week is less than the number of days normally worked. Short-Time Work must be systematic and show a clear repetitive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 561, 562 and 576 together. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (18 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,570 recipients at the end of April 2021. The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The two main income supports provided by my Department for people who are unable to find full time employment are Jobseeker's Benefit, which is based on a person's social insurance contributions paid while in employment and Jobseeker's Allowance which is a means tested payment. To be eligible for a Jobseeker’s payment a person must satisfy all of the qualifying conditions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all customers, ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible and that backlogs of claims are kept to a minimum. All schemes operate to published processing times which are subject to ongoing monitoring and review. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: During the past 12 months a total of 36,739 applications for State pension (contributory) were registered by my Department.  Of these, 33,669 claims have been finalised.  15,625 applicants qualified for State pension (contributory) and 6,781 applications were withdrawn where the persons concerned, although they qualified for pension, were already in receipt of a higher payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under current eligibility conditions, applicants must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory).  520 full-rate contributions equates  to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment over a person’s working life.  Calculation of an applicant’s entitlement to State pension (contributory) is based on their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Where a person enters the social insurance system over the age of 56 they will not be able to make sufficient social insurance contributions to be awarded a State Pensions (Contributory) on reaching 66 years of age because it has a minimum contribution requirement of 520 contributions (i.e., 10 years).  In such cases a level of social insurance refund may be applicable.  The...