Results 16,961-16,980 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I secured Government approval, last week, to keep the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme open to new applicants until the 31st March next year. Following a Government decision in September the scheme had been due to close for applications at the end of this year. The extension to the closing date will ensure workers are eligible to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment again...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter issued to the individual on 30th November 2020 with details of the PPSN. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial 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. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Carer’s Support Grant....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Data Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has not been the subject of an investigation by the Data Protection Commission since its establishment in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: This year’s Town and Village scheme was tailored to focus on initiatives that could support towns and villages in responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The 2020 Scheme, which has a budget of €25 million, includes two separate funding Measures - an Accelerated Measure and a Standard Measure. The Accelerated Measure was designed to support smaller scale...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In general the Christmas Bonus is paid to recipients of long-term social welfare payments who are dependent upon their social welfare payment for most or all of their income for what is normally a prolonged period. As an exceptional measure due to the severe impact of COVID-19 on employment levels and on customers financial circumstances, the bonus will be paid to all jobseekers and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Draft Heads of Bill have been prepared in the matter of amending the legislation regarding obtaining a gender recognition certificate for those aged 16 and 17 years of age. I expect to be shortly in a position to progress this and write to the Chair of the Committee in respect of pre-legislative scrutiny. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As I understand that the Deputy is asking about the potential abatement of a public sector pension that could apply to employment with section 38 and 39 organisations, I would direct the Deputy to my colleague, the Minister for Health, who has policy responsibility for these organisations.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have advised that the person concerned is in receipt of a Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance at the maximum personal weekly rate of €201. This is the correct rate of payment for a person of her circumstances. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to my officials, there is no recent record of an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) from the person concerned in my Department. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single ENP to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. A completed application form for DA must be submitted to the Department in order to have eligibility checked...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all of its customers. The face to face social services available to all our customers are also available to the Roma community. The Government's commitment to improve the lives of the Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland is set out in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2018- 2021 (NTRIS). My Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to an average of 352,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261.35 million in 2020. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was successful in their appeal regarding their Farm Assist claim. I can now confirm that the person concerned will receive their payment including arrears on Friday 4th December 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is a standard feature of social welfare legislation that a claimant can claim only one social welfare primary payment. It is not possible to be in receipt of both Invalidity Pension and a Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension. While I have sympathy for the unfortunate circumstances of the person concerned, the position is that to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approximately 815,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment or where their employer availed of the Revenue Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. Consequently, there are over 1.4 million applications to be examined to determine if...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A recipient of the State Pension (Contributory) can claim an increase in their pension in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the pensioner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by that pensioner. Only the spouse or partner of the claimant is subject to a means test. An increase is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A recipient of Jobseeker's Benefit can claim an increase in their payment in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the claimant who is being wholly or mainly maintained by the recipient. A person's entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit is dependent on their social insurance contributions and the personal rate of payment is not means...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The priority for my Department up to now has been to ensure that payments are being made currently to workers of the company concerned. To date over 3,200 claims have been put into payment in respect of employees who have applied for a jobseeker's payment. This work is now complete and deciding officers in my Department have commenced reviewing applications in respect of the period...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department invites requests for tenders for each of the subsidised transport services to the islands. When preparing the tender documentation, consideration is given to the requirements of the island communities – which is established through prior consultation - and to the budgets available to the Department to support these services. The nature of the service being tendered...