Results 15,561-15,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 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: Illness Benefit (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Illness Benefit claim from the person concerned has been awarded at a rate of €91.10 per week. Their first payment is due to issue to them on the 26th April 2021. An award letter has issued to the person concerned giving them the full details of this decision. It is open for the person concerned to apply for a top up to this payment under the Supplementary Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds has been introduced to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who retire at age 65, in many cases not because they want to, but because that is the retirement age specified in their contract of employment.  The new payment is not designed to be a full State Pension and it is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Intreo Centres (ICs) are a single point of contact for all employment and income supports.  The Centres are designed to provide a streamlined approach, offering practical, tailored employment services and supports for jobseekers. In the interest of continuing to observe the current public health advice in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and to safeguard both customers and staff, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered with that office on 24 February 2020.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  These papers were received on 11 March 2020 and the appeal was referred to an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Council (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to establish the Pensions Commission in November last year, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The Commission has held 10 meetings so far, and hosted a virtual Stakeholder Forum last week on April 21st. The Pensions Commission’s public consultation process, 'Have your Say on Sustainable State Pensions into the future',...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Civil and public sector employees, recruited prior to 6 April 1995, pay social insurance contributions at modified rates under PRSI classes B, C and D.  Amongst the class B contributors are permanent and pensionable civil servants and Gardaí, the class C contributors are commissioned army officers and members of the army nursing service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants are designed to assist and support jobseekers and persons in employment with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to employ or retain a person with a disability. The grants available are: a. Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant, which provides funding to make the workplace more accessible.   b. Personal Reader Grant, which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Marriages (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 and 643 together. A person must be a registered Solemniser in order that they can solemnise a legally valid marriage in Ireland. To become a registered Solemniser a person must have an application made on their behalf, by an authorised body, to have that person added to the Register of Solemnisers. Section 45 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 defines...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 645 together. The OECD Review of Pensions Systems: Ireland Report (2014) was commissioned following a request by the then Minister for Social Protection in response to the Pension Charges in Ireland Report (2012).  The 2014 report references the Pension Charges in Ireland Report (2012), and confirms its conclusions that whilst the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and resulting public health measures, has greatly impacted economic activity in the State and the labour market. The latest CSO data for March 2021, recorded a COVID-19 adjusted overall unemployment rate of 24.2 percent, with an equivalent measure for youth at 59.2 percent. Research conducted by my Department last year suggests that part-time workers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Resource Centres (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have been in contact with the Deputy's office to explain that this is not a matter for the Department of Social Protection and is proper to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: All jobseekers, including those who are working part time and in receipt of a jobseeker's payment from my Department, are required to be genuinely seeking and available for full time employment and to engage with my Department's employment services.  JobPath is an employment assistance and advice service that supports and assists people who are long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.  My Department has a provision of €96.5m in supports under the BTEA for 2021. A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme has to satisfy a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (28 Apr 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 19,761 active recipients. 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 available to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 653, 657 and 658 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme payable to employees and self- employed persons who are aged between 18 and 66 years (pension age) who have lost employment as a result of Covid-19 and satisfy the scheme’s qualifying conditions. The age range for entitlement to PUP is consistent with other social protection unemployment payments which are payable to people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments.  Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: When applying for social welfare benefits, it is important that an individual uses the correct Personal Public Service (PPS) number. Instances have arisen where a person has inadvertently applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment using an incorrect PPS number, for example the PPS number of their spouse or partner. Where this has occurred, the person should immediately close the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (28 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As per Government policy, my Department is responsible as the State's Public Employment Service for providing employment assistance and advice services to all jobseekers and members of the public who require these services. Contracted providers such as the Local Employment Services and JobPath provide my Department with the capacity to support the long term unemployed with...