Results 18,061-18,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the economy has reopened, the number of persons reliant on State income supports introduced to cushion the shock of the pandemic has been declining. By August the Covid-19 adjusted unemployment rate had reduced to 15% from a high of 28% in April. However, the corresponding rate for under 25s remains high, at almost 38%, just slightly down on the 45% high of April. In part this is due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons, countrywide, with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. In general, the period of participation on CE is for one year. However, CE participants who are working...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am acutely aware of the issues faced by self-employed people, in particular those in the arts and entertainment sector in dealing with the challenges created by Covid-19. I have met representatives from the sector and put in place special contact arrangements to ensure that they can check and avail of their entitlements. This includes the flexibility to take-up and receive payment for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to keeping schools open. In instances where this is not possible, the Government has requested employers to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff time off to look after their children or other members of their families affected by Covid-19. Employers have a general duty of care towards their workers and that care is often expressed in the form of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make an exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Retirement Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government commits to introducing a Retirement Payment for 65 year olds paid at the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. I wish to assure the Deputy that I have made the introduction of the new Retirement Payment an immediate priority for my Department. Officials...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Where the circumstances so warrant it, separate payments in respect of a primary social welfare payment can be made and the statutory power to do so is provided under section 244 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and associated regulations. Separate payments are usually made where it is likely that the amount of the social welfare payment payable will not be used for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” commits to the introduction ofa Total Contributions Approach (TCA). This approach, when it is introduced, is intended to be a fairer and more transparent system aligning a person’s contributory pension more closely with the contributions they make over their working life. It is anticipated that the approach will include...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In the case where a person has been fully laid off from their employment, they should make an application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. I have recently announced that the time-frame for receiving new applications under this scheme has been extended until the end of this year.The quickest and easiest way to apply for this payment is online at mywelfare.ie. In the case...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available. The CE scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment. The 2020 CE Budget is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face- to-face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken to comply with relevant public health guidance in respect of social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 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 prospects of gaining employment. The Back to Education Allowance has recently been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important 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. My Department provides income supports to carers such as Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Data (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The CSO published the first set of data from the 2019 Survey on Income and Living Conditions on 2 September which reported on the level of deprivation in Ireland in 2019. The data showed that the percentage of the population experiencing basic deprivation increased to 17.8% in 2019 compared to 15.1% in 2018. By contrast, the level of deprivation had trended downwards between 2013 and 2018....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, my Department engaged external consultants to conduct a review of all current contracted Public Employment Services (PES). They were also to advise on the design and development of future contracted PES. The consultants have completed their review of public employment services and have recently submitted a report to my officials. In accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Any provision for contracted Public Employment Services in 2021 will be in the context of managing and responding to the labour market impacts of Covid-19. My Department will work to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the Public Employment Service to provide a high-quality service to help individuals back into employment. In July, the Government announced that we would be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been put on a statutory basis since 5th August and I have announced that the scheme will remain open to new applicants until the end of the year. This means that anyone who loses their employment as a result of the pandemic will continue to be able to avail of the payment. It also means that anyone laid off for a second time will be able to avail of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 527 together. As announced under the July Stimulus, the COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment has been extended until the end of March 2021. I have recently secured agreement of Government to keep the payment open to new applications until the end of 2020. To be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment a person must have become fully...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The rate of the pandemic unemployment payment is determined by a person’s prior earnings as notified to my Department by the Revenue Commissioners. My Department does not engage with the Revenue Commissioners in determining a person's individual eligibility but makes this determination on the basis of analysing the information available, except in isolated cases where a record...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (22 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 528 together. The Community Employment (CE) scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. In general, the period of participation on CE is for one year....