Results 1,821-1,840 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (29 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability. To this end, the Department provides a wide range of work related supports, which in 2015 will cost an estimated €37 million solely for persons with a disability. The Government’s commitments to facilitating increased participation in employment for persons with a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (29 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 65,000 people at a cost of €298 million in 2015. Over 13,700 rent supplement tenancies have been awarded this year, of which almost 4,300 are in Dublin, showing that significant numbers are being accommodated under the scheme. A review of the rent limits undertaken...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 to 216, inclusive, together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations which benefits over 217,500 children. Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the programme in 2015, providing a total allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (29 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: JobPath is a new approach to employment activation which will cater mainly for people who are long-term unemployed (over 12 months) and will assist them to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment. Following the completion of a public procurement process contracts to deliver JobPath have been signed with two companies - Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (29 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. However, the Government recognises that as the recovery takes hold, there is a need for additional measures to ensure that as many as possible of the jobs created are taken up by jobseekers. This is the rationale behind the...

Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (24 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Deputy Daly for raising the issue of the review of the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act. I have circulated a response but I would rather have a conversation with him than read a scripted response on this. As a member of a trade union for many years, I understand the Deputy's and the families' frustration at not being able to get the repayment that I also...

Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (24 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will be in touch with the Deputy in the coming weeks to organise that. He can brief his 12 families on this. There is nothing more shocking and upsetting than to lose one's job. Getting the redundancy payment and holiday benefits to which one is entitled can sometimes help to alleviate the financial problems, but there is nothing worse than when a company becomes insolvent and then one...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €29 million for the ENP scheme in 2015. An application can be made...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (24 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (24 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Persons aged 25 years or over and who are currently in receipt of either:- Widows/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension; or - Widows/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partners Non-Contributory Pension for 12 continuous months or more, are eligible for Community Employment (CE) and have been since 1999. Details of eligibility criteria for CE are listed on the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Eligibility for the Community Employment (CE) scheme can be ascertained by the individual contacting their local Intreo Office or Employment Services Office (contact details on the website). The Department’s public website also lists all the eligibility criteria for the Community Employment scheme. A person of 18 years of age or over, who is currently in receipt of illness benefit for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including lone parents, recovering drug misusers and persons with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. The A8/A9 PRSI stamp paid by Community...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection has indicated that it is not in a position to provide funding for a gratuity or lump sum payment to Community Employment Supervisors on their retirement. This has been advised and has been detailed in numerous responses to Parliamentary Questions on this topic.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations which benefits over 217,500 children. Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the programme in 2015, providing a total allocation of €39 million. The school referred to by the Deputy, is a DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Data (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. The Government has provided over €70 million for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Data (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. The Government has provided over €70 million for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: This Department has become aware in recent times of increases in insurance premiums for CE schemes. The main reason advised to the Department when this was queried on behalf of schemes was an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. The Department has been in consultation with the main insurers about the proposed increase and to seek to limit the incidence of future...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including lone parents, recovering drug mis-users and persons with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. With respect to the participants...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is administered by designated persons formerly known as Community Welfare Officers. As part of the process to determine a person’s entitlement to SWA, a designated person may carry out a home visit to the person’s place of residence, for example, to verify a tenancy for rent supplement purposes or to interview someone who is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (22 Sep 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 65,000 people at a cost of over €298 million in 2015. Under the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework each tenant’s circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis, and rents are being increased above prescribed limits as appropriate. Community Welfare...