Results 16,061-16,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Procurement Contracts (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The procurement of supplies and services is essential to support my Department and bodies under the aegis of my Department in providing high quality services to the public, in a cost effective and efficient manner. The tables below set out details of contracts over €25,000 that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Details of my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face to face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC). PSC appointments are currently suspended due to the prevailing Level 5 restrictions. Appointments are available, however, for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer has no alternative means of accessing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (3 Mar 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 19,900 active recipients. Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment and is available as a short-term income support to those in the private rented sector. In view of the difficulties created for many in the private rented sector that have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Human Rights (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed through research by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice (VPSJ), of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. According to the VPSJ, it is a standard of living which meets an individual's / household's physical,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The number of Working Family Payment recipients and registered applications made since January 2020, along with the current recipients of the scheme as of February 2021 is detailed in the tabular statement below. ">No. of Recipients

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: JobsPlus is an active labour market scheme designed to encourage employers and businesses to provide eligible long term unemployed and other disadvantaged persons including young people seeking work with an opportunity to engage in employment. It provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers over two years, with two levels of grant payable - €7,500 or €10,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, it has been claimed that the Chief Appeals Officer used the outcome of a 'test case' in a particular occupational sector to likewise determine the employment status of all workers in that sector. i.e. that all workers in that sector are automatically deemed to have the same employment status of the worker in the so called 'test case'. I am advised that that is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension (IP) is payable to an insured person who satisfies certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions and who is permanently incapable of work due to an illness or incapacity and for no other reason. Claimants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions (class A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Since the start of the Pandemic, many employers have put in place flexible arrangements for staff to allow them to continue to work while caring for their children. This should continue wherever possible as it maintains that vital link between employees and their employers. As was the case when childcare facilities and schools were closed previously, an employee who cannot attend work due...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department administers the Illness Benefit scheme to those customers who cannot work because they are sick or ill. Customers must be covered by the appropriate class of social insurance (PRSI), satisfy the PRSI conditions and provide a Certificate of Incapacity for Work from a medical practitioner. Illness benefit is payable for one year (312 days excluding Sundays) in respect of people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at second or third level. The main focus of the allowance is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and their prospects of gaining employment. A person wishing to pursue a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 560 together. Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,900 active recipients. Since the introduction of the Government’s Covid-19 emergency response in March, 8,300 applicants have been approved and remain in payment. Rent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Make Work Pay report was published in April 2017 following a commitment in the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities 2015 -2024, and was undertaken in order to better identify how people with disabilities could be supported to achieve their employment ambitions. The report made two recommendations (numbers 9 and 10) that addressed significant issues around the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events, such as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Application Forms (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As part of my Department’s service delivery modernisation programme, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining applications for a payment and processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented in recent years. My Department is continuing to increase the number of services available to customers though its online channel at www.MyWelfare.ie and to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Blind Person's Pension (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension (BP) is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments and is paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged between 18 and 66, who are habitually resident in the State. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It was a key commitment in the Programme for Government that 65 year olds who are required to or choose to retire early can receive an early retirement payment at the same rate as jobseekers benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. The Benefit Payment for 65 year Olds which was recently introduced fulfils...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children who are in full-time education, or who have a disability, until their 18th birthday. Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-January 2021, to over 634,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020, provides, amongst other measures, for paid social insurance contributions in respect of people who are beneficiaries of certain Covid-19 income support payments. These payments include the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). The attribution of contributions will ensure that employed contributors who are in receipt of PUP will have social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (3 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that officials of my Department have contacted the individual referred to by the Deputy so that we may proceed to progress his Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) application. Upon receipt of outstanding information, this application will be processed without delay. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.