Results 16,401-16,420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Covid-19 (Social Protection): Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising these issues. I will try to respond to as many as I can within the time available to me. In regard to the future of the PUP, the Deputy will be aware that earlier this month I secured Government approval for the retention of the current rates of payment until 31 March next. With the extension of the current restrictions until 5 March, it is clear to...

Covid-19 (Social Protection): Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. All legislation enjoys the assumption of constitutionality. The Minister for Finance determines taxation policy. The legislation has gone through both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance are of the view that it is constitutional. The Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners are clear on...

Covid-19 (Social Protection): Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the opportunity to address the House today. We are all aware of the sudden and sustained impact that Covid-19 has had on our everyday lives. The priority for the Government throughout this crisis has been twofold: first to protect public health and limit the spread of the virus and second to put in place income supports that mitigate the financial impact on households. ...

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

Heather Humphreys: My department operates two schemes which provide assistance, to qualified PRSI contributors and their dependent spouse/partners, with the provision of optical services and equipment. The optical benefit scheme provides for a free eye examination and assistance with the provision of a range of spectacles and contact lenses for vision correction every 2 years. The medical appliances benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The amount paid out by county in supplementary welfare in January 2021 to date is set out in the following table. COUNTY Amount paid between 3rd and 24th of January 2021 CARLOW €249,215 CAVAN €158,997 CLARE €181,436 CORK €2,077,395 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: This week my Department has issued weekly payments valued at almost €143 million to just over 475,360 recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) as this payment continues to provide valuable financial support to those who lost employment due to the impacts of Covid-19. PUP will remain available until 31st March 2021 and I recently secured Government approval to retain...

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

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of a €5.50 increase in the rate of Disability Allowance is €47.3 million, based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. This costing includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults. It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 Jan 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: Occupational Injuries Benefit (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection operates the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme which is a group of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work. The scheme also covers people who have contracted a disease as a result of the type of work they do. There are a number of benefits available and there are different...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. In March of this year, under...

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

Heather Humphreys: An age related jobseeker’s allowance rate of €112.70 generally applies to young jobseekers aged 18-24 to incentivise them to engage in education or training to improve their chances of obtaining full time sustainable employment. Where a young jobseeker participates in education or training they can receive the maximum weekly personal rate of €203 increasing to...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no delays in processing claims once all of the necessary information is provided to establish entitlement to Carer's Allowance. The average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: From the early stages of the pandemic the Community Call initiative has mobilised national government, local government and the community and voluntary sector to support vulnerable people in our communities. The initiative coordinates community activity, directing community assistance to where it is needed, and marshals the volunteering energy of the country. The Community Call is available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Certain expenditure on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) made before 5 August 2020 was charged to the Social Insurance Fund, having previously been charged to the Department's Vote. This expenditure related to many PUP recipients who had an underlying entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed). The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 493, 504, 518 and 532 together. Since last March over 14 million payments have issued under the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) with over 820,000 people receiving support under the scheme. The total cost of PUP to date is over €5.3 Billion. These figures reflect the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 on our economy and society and demonstrate also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Guardian's Payment (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded Guardian's Payment Contributory, for two children, at the rate of €186 per child, with effect from 29th May 2020. This was confirmed by letter dated 9th December 2020 to the person concerned. The first payment issued for collection at the post office on 18th December 2020 and a cheque in respect of arrears issued last week. I hope this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The fuel allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Homeless Persons Supports (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has a protocol in place for payments to homeless customers and staff make every effort to assist persons who are homeless so that they can avail of the Department’s services and income supports. A person may apply for a social welfare payment even if they have no permanent address. An immediate payment may be issued under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Transport (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 948,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (27 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In cases where parents have a joint custody arrangement that is not equally split, child income support payments are awarded to the parent who is the primary carer and with whom the child spends most of their time. In cases where the parents have an equal custody arrangement, individual payments follow the rules of the scheme concerned. For example, in the case of Child Benefit, the payment...