Results 16,841-16,860 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Christmas Bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7th December to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments for all, or most, of their income.  Short-term schemes, including Maternity...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered on 2 October 2020 and the file papers were received from the Department of Social Protection on 29 October 2020. The appeal was referred on 3 November 2020 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The requirement for recipients to sign for their cash payment is an important tool in helping to prevent the fraudulent collection of social welfare payments by unauthorised persons.  This is done by means of an electronic signing pad.  An electronic signature can only be captured by using a purpose-made stylus which is physically connected to the signing pad.  Disabling...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Training Support Grant (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department manages the State’s public employment service (PES) which it delivers through its Intreo centre network of offices and through contractors delivering EmployAbility and other services on its behalf. The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short term training or related interventions. It also assists with obtaining or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market.  The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In addition to providing income supports, my Department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for both jobseekers with disabilities and employers seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability or to retain an existing employee who has or who acquires a disability.  The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. The person concerned is in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.  In order to qualify for BTEA, a person must satisfy the qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021.  This measure will cost an estimated €28.6 million in 2021 and will support up to 39,000 parents.  This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted since 1st November 2019 and the period during...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a PPSN issued by post to a person a number of days after their SAFE registration interview. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was considered to be capable of work following an assessment by a Medical Assessor.  Following a review of all the evidence available this decision was upheld by a Deciding Officer and payment of Illness Benefit was disallowed.  A letter issued to the person concerned on the 28th October 2020 informing her of the decision and that her Illness...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The EmployAbility Service is service is open to all persons with a disability who are considered job ready and need the support of a Job Coach to secure employment in the labour market. The participant must be registered with my Department and be referred to, and engage with, the EmployAbility Service. A person may be considered to be job ready, if they are “a person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 411, inclusive, together. EmployAbility Services, as contracted by my Department, provide support to people with disabilities to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market leading to independence and career progression. My Department continuously monitors each service locally using a system of monthly control checks...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 to 417, inclusive, together. The Employability Service provides support and advice to people with disabilities with a view to them securing employment.   The number of customers referred by my Department to the EmployAbility Services in each of the past five years is as follows: 2016  2017 2018 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for a Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) from the individual concerned. Under social welfare legislation, a PPS Number can only be allocated where a person needs it to transact with the public service and where they can provide evidence of that need. When a person takes up employment, they need a PPS Number to pay tax and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Guardian's Payment (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A Guardian's payment is made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an "orphan" under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under 18 (or under 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or one parent is either dead or unknown or has abandoned and failed to provide for the child and the other parent is unknown or has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides for the manner in which a person's means are assessed for social assistance schemes.  In summary, any income or capital, with certain exceptions and disregards, belonging to the person and his / her spouse, partner or co-habitant is assessable for social welfare means testing purposes. Social welfare legislation provides for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An application for state pension non-contributory was received from the person concerned on 14 October 2020.  The person concerned was awarded state pension non-contributory with effect from 16 October 2020 and has been notified of the decision in writing on 26 November 2020. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Youth unemployment stood at just over 10 percent in Q1 2020 based on the CSO’s Labour Force Survey data, with approximately 20,000 persons aged under 25 on the Live Register.  By Q3 2020 these figures had increased to 20 percent and 25,000 respectively arising from the shock to the labour market caused the COVID pandemic. Experience from previous downturns has shown us...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Living Alone Allowance is a payment for people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone.  It is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.  This Living Alone Allowance is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Experience from previous recessions has shown us that the impacts of labour market shocks are often disproportionately weighted towards younger people. Much of this impact can be related to employers operating a “first in, first out” approach when enforcing cutbacks and reducing their workforce. Research by my Department has shown that young people make up a significant share of...