Results 15,681-15,700 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1110 and 1119 together. Similar correspondence was forwarded to my Department and I can confirm that a response has issued directly to the person concerned. As part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services both within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Every year, my Department staggers payments over both the Easter and Christmas holiday periods to cater for post offices and banks being closed. This Easter, payments which fell due for payment on Easter Monday and Good Friday were brought forward for payment to Thursday, 1st April. Payments which were due for payment on Thursday, 1st April were brought forward to Wednesday, 31st March and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1112, 1113, 1130, 1137, 1154, 1155, 1170, 1179 and 1190 together. As part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in addition, to expand the coverage of the Local Employment Services to areas not currently covered by existing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which will apply 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: School Meals Programme (21 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 important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (21 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 important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be significantly impacted by any labour market shock. This is because many employers operate a "last in-first out" protocol when reducing their labour force. Moreover, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on our youth is driven by the tendency for many younger people to work in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I introduced the new Benefit Payment for 65 year olds, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to retire, or who chose to retire, without a requirement to sign on, engage in activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. This new payment is designed specifically to bridge the gap...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. An interdepartmental group is being established to carry out this impact assessment and submit a report to Government for consideration. Preliminary work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 was enacted on 27thMarch 2021, with a Commencement Order providing for the additional three weeks of Parents Leave and Benefit taking effect from 1 April 2021. In preparation for this extension, my Department implemented the required system updates in advance so as to be in a position to begin processing applications immediately....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for carers, with the combined spend on carers support schemes expected to exceed €1.4 billion in 2021. In addition, the Department operates a comprehensive free travel scheme covering all forms of public transport. While accepting the bona fifes of the case made by the Deputy, the Department has no role in providing grant assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The relevant Programme for Government proposals supplied contain both legislative and non-legislative proposals. Work commenced in relation to advancing the legislative process in relation to gender recognition those aged 16 and 17 years and other relevant measures at the start of 2020 but due to the dissolution of the last Dáil, the election and subsequent government-formation process,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1126 and 1133 together. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily suspended Public Services Card (PSC) appointments and the online system used to manage those appointments. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines and help protect the health and well-being of our customers and staff....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Every day the State delivers important and valuable services and benefits to the people of this State. It is critically important that we can do so in the knowledge that the person in receipt of these services is who they claim to be. It is also important that we minimise the need for people to authenticate their identity each time they need to enter into a transaction with a public body. A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important 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. There is a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports in place, including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, the majority of whom are women, particularly those of incapacitated children. This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. As the Deputy is aware, the Pensions Commission was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. At the end of February, there were 89,274 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. The estimated expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2021 is approximately €953 million. Combined spending on all these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that the question relates to an individual social insurance contributor and that there are no payments in respect of children included in the maintenance received. The effect of separation on each spouse's statutory liability depends mainly on whether there are any maintenance payments involved and, if so, whether these payments are made under a legally enforceable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1140, 1141, 1142, 1143, 1149, 1150, 1185 and 1192 together. The two main statutory income support payments provided by my Department for people who lose employment and who are continuing to work part-time are Jobseekers Benefit, based on a person’s pay related social insurance contributions paid while in employment, and the means tested Jobseekers...