Results 18,241-18,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy, including the benefits available to voluntary contributors, is contained in the following table. PRSI Class A B C D E H J K M P S Voluntary Contributions Adoptive Benefit X X X ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 to 98, inclusive, together. The Department has advised that subject to satisfying the relevant eligibility criteria, employees may claim casual (i.e. part-time) jobseeker payments or Short-Time Work Support payments for days of unemployment, even where their employer is claiming the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for days of employment.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (16 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new demands across a wide range of services.  This is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (16 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government "Our Shared Future" 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (16 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a scheme that allows persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments the opportunity to pursue a course of study, while still maintaining their income support, subject to satisfying a number of conditions.  The conditions include progressing in the level of education held by an applicant with reference to the national framework of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Bereavement Grant was a payment of €850 made where the deceased or his/her surviving partner was an insured contributor to the social insurance fund.  Any decision to reinstate it would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations. There are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated annual cost to the Exchequer in 2021 of a waiver of waiting days for Jobseekers Allowance is approximately €10 million  and for Jobseekers Benefit is approximately €22.4 million. The estimated annual cost for Illness Benefit and Occupational Injury Benefit (combined figure) is approximately €57 million.  I understand that there are no waiting days...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 472, 481 and 506 together. The pandemic unemployment payment is available to employees and self-employed persons aged between 18 and 66 years and has been extended until the end of March 2021 to support employees and businesses who continue to be severely impacted by ongoing Public Health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay Commission (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy) (ME) is a complex debilitating disorder which is characterised by severe fatigue accompanied by a range of other symptoms. ME is sometimes known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). I am informed by my colleague the Minister for Health that there is currently no known, specific, medical diagnostic test to determine or confirm a correct diagnosis of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 475, 493, 498, 508, 510, 511 and 523 together. My Department has advised that subject to satisfying the relevant eligibility criteria, employees may claim casual (i.e. part-time) jobseeker payments or Short-Time Work Support payments for days of unemployment, even where their employer is claiming the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for days of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity when they apply for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), is a face- to-face process.  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 HSE and WHO guidelines in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned originally applied for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 24/03/2020, entering his date last worked as 29/02/2020.  On this basis a PUP did not issue as he did not meet the eligibility criteria of being in employment on or after 06/03/2020. On 27/04/2020, the person concerned revised his application to reflect...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department introduced a series of measures to maintain social welfare payments while assisting with social distancing measures designed to combat the spread of the Coronavirus.  Fortnightly payments were introduced to minimise the need for people to attend and queue in banks or post offices to collect payments, so helping people restrict their movements to essential activities...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (15 Sep 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 person concerned on 14th September 2020, with details of the PPSN. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The enterprise support grant was extended to assist eligible self-employed individuals who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment or jobseekers schemes after 18th May 2020 to re-start their business which was closed due to the impact of the pandemic. The grant provides essential restart support to businesses not eligible for funding from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 to 491, inclusive, together. An internal competition for promotion to Higher Executive Officer was advertised on June 22nd 2020 with a closing date of July 10th 2020. 3,865 staff were eligible to apply for the competition broken down as follows:  Grade - Clerical Officer 2370 Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 513 together. The Government has given approval to keep the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) open to new applications until the end of 2020. The payment was due to close to new applications on the 17thSeptember 2020. It is also open to those who were in receipt of PUP and who returned to work, to reapply for PUP, should they be made unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 495 together. Farm Assist is an income support for low-income farmers. To be eligible for the scheme a person must be aged between 18 and 66 years and satisfy a means test. The 2020 Revised Estimates for this Department provides for expenditure of €60.98 million for the Farm Assist Scheme. The assessment of means for the purpose of qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (15 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A self-employed fisherman or woman on a low income may apply for Fish Assist which, in itself, is not a separate scheme but falls under the jobseeker's allowance (JA) scheme. In order for a person to qualify for a Fish Assist payment they must satisfy the qualifying conditions for JA in that they must be available for and genuinely seeking work. They must also satisfy a means test. Figures...