Results 16,981-17,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Functions (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Sectors relevant to my Departments remit include charities, social enterprises and community and voluntary groups in addition to those organisations delivering in rural Ireland. Contracts of employment within these sectors are generally a matter for the employers concerned. My Department is not aware at this time of specific concerns raised on contracts nor in receipt of correspondence on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution towards the wages cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and a manager, where warranted. It does not provide funding towards capital costs as outlined in the...

State Pension Age: Motion [Private Members] (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Sinn Féin would be better served working constructively to improve the conditions of those people rather than tabling motions on issues that this Government is already dealing with comprehensively.

State Pension Age: Motion [Private Members] (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “notes that: — the Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’ has committed to maintaining the State Pension as the bedrock of the Irish pension system; — this includes a commitment to establish a Commission on Pensions and pending...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together. 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. The objective of the payment is to provide an income support to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The systematic short-time working scheme is a form of Jobseeker's Benefit, and is payable to people who have been temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer. The benefit is paid in respect of the days of employment lost. The number of workers availing of the systematic short-time working scheme are published in the Annual Statistical Report of the Department at the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Free fuel (FF) allowance is a means tested payment, payable to people who either live alone or only with certain other qualified people. The person concerned was awarded FF with effect from 2 October 2019 and he continues to qualify for this allowance. On 29 October 2019 a letter issued informing him of this. FF allowance is paid during the winter months only and the first payment for this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The maximum personal weekly rates for the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension are €248.30 for those aged 66 and over and €208.50 for those under 66 years of age. It is a weekly payment to the husband, wife or civil partner of a deceased person. Increases for qualified children are also payable at a rate of €36 (for children under the age...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government approved the establishment of the Commission on Pensions last month, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment. The Commission will examine sustainability and eligibility issues in respect of State pension arrangements and will outline options for the Government to address issues such as qualifying age, contribution rates, total contributions and eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (1 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 26th 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: Departmental Communications (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for his kind words of appreciation for the work undertaken on an ongoing basis by the staff of my Department in administering all of our schemes, including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and in ensuring continuity of payment to customers throughout the ongoing pandemic. This remains the priority for my Department and resources allocated to claim processing are kept...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme are not satisfied. She was notified on 16 November 2020 of this decision, the reasons for it and of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered on 29 September 2020 and the file papers were received from the Department of Social Protection on 29 October 2020. The appeal was referred on 20 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 Unemployment Payment (1 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: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a statutory support payable to people between the ages of 18 and 66 which is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age who have lost their employment. People aged 66 years and over are provided for through the contributory State pension or the non-contributory State means tested pension. A person aged over 66 who is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The person concerned is currently in receipt of an Illness Benefit (IB) payment from this Department which is due to expire in February 2021. IB is payable for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (1 Dec 2020)

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: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since its introduction on the 15thMarch in response to the global covid-19 pandemic, expenditure on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has amounted to some €4 billion. I am happy to confirm to the Deputy that I have secured the agreement of Government to keep the scheme open for new applicants until the 31st March 2021. The Deputy will recall that following a Government decision in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Student Support Schemes (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Payment information with regard to my Departments' schemes is available to SUSI from 1 January 2014 over the Application Programme Interface (API). The API calls are embedded into the SUSI Grant application system. The information shared with SUSI is customer identity, claim/allowances, payments and means factors. SUSI access the API to request a statement of a person's payment record in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has continued to provide services to our customers, including the new pandemic unemployment payment, throughout the pandemic. We have, at all times, followed public health advice and the Return to Work Safely Protocol. While we have kept our Intreo centres open we have implemented restricted opening hours and strict sanitation protocols and we have encouraged our clients, as...