Results 18,381-18,400 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 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: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: For the purposes of this Question, events are considered to be those that are directly funded and organised by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. In relation to the issue of funding remaining in place for 2021, the Deputy will be aware that the Department's funding is allocated on an annual basis and the 2021 budget allocation has not yet been made. To assist in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (8 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 prospective future employment. It helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. A number of new conditions were introduced on CE in July 2017 to further...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the person referred to by the Deputy has held a basic MyGovID account since 13th July 2020. With a basic MyGovID account, a person can access a number of services, such as requesting a statement of their PRSI contributions or checking their eligibility to certain benefits. To hold a verified MyGovID account, a person must have authenticated their identity through the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 May 2020. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs Social Protection. These papers were received in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2020 revised estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on Jobseekers Benefit (including Jobseekers Benefit for the Self- employed) of €1.58 billion. Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment to people who have lost their employment and who satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions including the requirement to have sufficient social insurance contributions paid....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex. Therefore, the Government is establishing a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. The Terms of Reference for the Commission on Pensions are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 29 May 2020. The evidence submitted in support of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: 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. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. I can confirm that my department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (8 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 scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment. In order to qualify for CE,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 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 prospective future employment. It helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. CE is delivered through independent CE Sponsoring Authorities. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) allows a person who has been in receipt of Illness Benefit for six months and who may not have full capacity for work, to return to employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment from the Department. The personal rate of payment is based on the assessment of the persons restriction on capacity for work i.e. Moderate, Severe or Profound, whereby...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 762 together. Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approx. 750,000 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. Consequently, there are over 1 million applications to be examined to determine if arrears are due. During...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continual supervision in order to avoid danger...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 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 only....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a payment for employees and self-employed who are out of work (i.e. fully unemployed) due to a downturn in economic activity related to COVID-19. People who meet the criteria set out for the Payment will continue to receive it if their workplace is closed and they are genuinely seeking work. However, people who can return to work but do not do so due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Provisions in relation to continuity of employment are contained in the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973. The First Schedule to the Act provides that a lay-off shall not amount to the termination by an employer of his employee’s service. An employee's service is considered continuousunless he/she is either dismissed or voluntarily leaves his/her job. If the employees...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face to face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC). At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process to comply with public health guidelines in respect of social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables below. Table 1: People who received at least one Jobseeker Payment - 2018 Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Carlow 4,375 4,385 4,326 3,869 Cavan 4,541 4,459 4,432 4,022 Clare ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the processing times for jobseeker claims is currently in line with my Department’s target for timely decision making on these claims. There is no need or intent to seek the assistance of third parties in the processing of jobseekers claims. I can confirm that my Department has 24 contracts in place for employment services with Local...