Results 16,541-16,560 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 558 together. 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 scheme 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to the past five years.  No contracts have been awarded by my Department, or by State agencies under the aegis of my Department, to the company referred to, during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance (DA) with effect from 26 August 2020. The first payment will be made by her chosen payment method on 6 January 2021. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable). I trust this clarifies the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the operation of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and for the eligibility criteria associated with the scheme lies with the Revenue Commissioners and with the Department of Finance. In so far as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme is concerned, the statutory conditions governing the scheme provide that an employee must have fully...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 19 April 2020.  They were awarded State pension (contributory) at 65% of the maximum rate with effect from their 66th birthday, based on a yearly average calculation of 19.  The person was notified of this decision in writing on 30 March 2020, and afforded the right to request a review of the decision and/or appeal the decision to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Short-Time Work Support is a form of Jobseekers Benefit and is an income support payment for people who have been temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer. The payment is made in respect of the days of work that have been lost. Short-Term Work must be systematic and demonstrate a clear repetitive pattern of employment. Employees must also work at least one day...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 30 October 2020. It is a condition for receipt of a CA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have advised that the person concerned submitted an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment to assist with funeral expenses on 08/12/2020.  The application was assessed and refused on the basis that a need had not been established due to the disclosure of significant Credit Union savings. A decision letter dated 10/12/2020 issued to the person concerned advising her of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new demands across a wide range of services. This is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Responsibility for Parents Leave rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and it will lead on drafting and progressing the legislative change necessary to give parents the right to apply to their employer to take the additional parents leave, as provided for in Budget 2021.  Once this legislation has been enacted, parents will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Chapter 3 of Part 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) requires all self-employed workers aged between 16 years and pensionable age (currently 66 years) with income of €5,000 or more per annum to pay social insurance contributions.   The social insurance contributions paid by self-employed workers are categorised as class...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A review team has been set up in the Department and this team will continue to systematically review claims from employees of the company concerned for the period between March and end-August when the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was in payment. The Department is writing to individual employees of the company requesting that they contact their employer for the information that is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which is a face to face process, is used by the Department of Social Protection to authenticate a person's identity and results in the issue of a Public Services Card (PSC).  A Free Travel variant PSC is issued to those with free travel entitlement who have completed the SAFE registration process.  At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance has been awarded to the person concerned, payable from 2 October 2020. All arrears due have issued. The Living Alone Allowance has also been awarded from 22 March 2020 and the Telephone Support Allowance from 25 September 2020. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The following tables relate to all Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment categories. As the data is provided on a weekly basis the 5 week period is taken from 28/11/2010-02/01/2021 rather than the specific period requested. The breakdown by county is based on the county of the recipients - dis-aggregation of office locations by distinct counties is not possible  - and is set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The higher rate of employer social insurance contribution is currently 11.05% of employee earnings and  includes a National Training Fund levy of 1%. I understand that the Deputy’s office clarified that the additional revenue of a 2.5% increase in the higher rate of the employer social insurance contribution on earnings in excess of €100,000 is what is being sought. Based...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Advocacy Service (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide advocacy for people with disabilities. The NAS provides an independent, confidential and free, issues-based representative advocacy service that works exclusively for the person using the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23 December 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.  When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question...