Results 17,921-17,940 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: SOLAS Administration (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530, 568 and 588 together. My Department’s Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level. The main focus of the allowance is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 531, 544, 545 and 586 together. Last week, my Department issued payments valued at €61.3 million to over 206,341 people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). In total Government has spent over €3.5 bn on PUP payments. From 17 September the PUP is being paid at three rates linked to a person's pre-covid employment earnings....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex.  As a consequence, the Programme for Government commits to establishing a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including sustainability, eligibility, contributions and calculation methods. The Terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the July Stimulus package, and in tandem with a suite of enhanced and improved employment support services for workers, the Government announced the further extension of the pandemic unemployment payment until 1 April 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Over €36 million has been spent on the enhanced illness benefit payment to date. The estimated cost of extending the COVID-19 illness benefit payment until the end of March 2021 is estimated to be an additional €35 million.  This includes payments for increases for qualified adults and children. The purpose of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An employee subject to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) must satisfy the conditionality requirements of the relevant social welfare scheme in order to receive payment. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme Section 28(5)(h) of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provides that where the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme applies in relation to a specified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports for carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. The projected expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2020 is approximately €919 million. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments.  Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (29 Sep 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, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Self-employed workers who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year are liable to pay social insurance contributions at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500.  Such contributors are currently covered for a wide range of social insurance benefits including State pension (contributory), widow's, widower's or surviving civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a payment made in respect of a child with a severe disability who requires additional care and attention, it is payable to the person providing for the child's care while they are resident with that person for at least 5 days each week. DCA can be paid, for a period not exceeding 13 weeks in any 12 months, if the child is admitted to hospital on a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, the majority of whom are women, particularly those of incapacitated children, in recognition of the enormous value of the work carried out by them. This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The pandemic unemployment payment is payable to people between the ages of 18 up to 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 in receipt of the State...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. For the purposes of the means-test, it is necessary at the outset for applicants to provide full details of any...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (29 Sep 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 department received a claim for IP for this gentleman on 18 May 2020.  The claim was refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In March 2020 the Government introduced an emergency amendment to the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 in order to ensure the future viability of businesses and help prevent permanent job losses.  As a result of Covid-19 there have been immediate and unprecedented volumes of temporary lay-off and short time work situations.  Under the existing provisions these lay-off and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid.  In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced. From 26 June 2020, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment moved to 2 rates of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to education allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level. The main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment. The BTEA is not intended to provide a basis...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of fostering services is a matter for Tusla (the Child and Family Agency). This includes any supports, including financial supports, that are required by either the foster parents or the foster children that specifically relate to fostering. Under the current social welfare legislation, in order to qualify for payment of One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) an applicant must be a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Last week, my Department issued payments valued at €61.3 million to over 206,341 people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Of these, some 5,822 (or 2.8%) are members of the arts, entertainment and recreation sector.  This represents a 59% reduction from 14,200 claimants in that sector at the peak in May.  In total Government has...