Results 18,621-18,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I understand the question seeks my view on whether the weekly payment rates for schemes such as the community employment, rural social and Tús schemes represent a fair and adequate incentive to a married person to participate in the schemes. My Department provides a range of social employment and training programmes that are targeted at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I would be happy to sit down with the Deputy to discuss these schemes, which are good initiatives. If improvements are necessary, I would like to hear what they are. I will meet the Deputy with my officials to examine this issue and hear how he believes the schemes can be improved. I want the system to help people and to be fair and equitable. I do not want to see people disadvantaged.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pensions (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: To clarify, if someone reaches the age of 65 and has to retire for whatever reason, he or she does not have to sign on, as is the requirement for jobseeker's allowance. He or she has just to fill out an application form. Furthermore, such an applicant does not have to be actively seeking work and he or she will receive a payment of €203 for the duration of the year before going onto...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pensions (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I reiterate that that has been changed. If someone reaches the age of 65 and is going to retire, he or she must fill out one form and that is it. He or she will not be asked to sign on again and will receive the payment for the full 12 months prior to reaching the pension age at 66. That is an improvement. Nevertheless, I accept what the Deputy is saying. For people who have worked...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Currently, PRSI-credited contributions or credits are awarded to former employees only, to cover gaps in social insurance where they are not in a position to pay PRSI contributions, such as during periods of unemployment or illness. Self-employed workers do not qualify for credits as one social insurance payment per annum provides the full 52 contributions for that year. The farm assist...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The farm assist scheme is absolutely essential. There are farmers who benefit from it and need it to put bread on the table. I am absolutely committed to the scheme. The Deputy is referring to a particular cohort of farmers who were in the scheme from 1999 to 2007 and I take his point. I am very new in this job but I would be happy to sit down with the Deputy and try to find some...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Payments (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The new Programme for Government - Our Shared Future proposes an early retirement allowance or pension 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.  The new payment will be introduced as early as possible for those who are retired from employment....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Payments (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. There is no statutory retirement age in the State. I recognise the need for a payment for 65 year olds who are required to retire early or choose to do so. I have directed officials in my Department to introduce the early retirement allowance or pension as soon as possible. Officials in my Department are assessing the legislative, technological and administrative...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Payments (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I agree with the Deputy that people who want to work for longer should be allowed to. Let us face it; we are living longer, we are healthier and we want to work. It is good for a person's health to continue to work. Many have said that those who work longer live longer. We certainly need to look at that. The commission will examine a range of issues when it is set up. I will await the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pensions (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 26, 81 and 92 together. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government stated in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future that the increase in the State pension age planned for next year will be deferred.  This will require the amendment of primary legislation. The Government will bring the necessary legislation before the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is correct. Some 287,000 people are still on the PUP. We hope that as the economy continues to reopen, more people will return to work. The unfortunate reality is, however, that not all of them will be able to return to the jobs they had before the onset of Covid-19. There are also 220,000 people on the live register, so my focus will be on supporting those individuals in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy knows, the Department engages external consultants. The report currently being finalised will inform the Government's decision on a future structure. Once the report is ready, decisions will be taken on the best approach to ensuring we have the necessary capacity to ensure the public employment service can provide a quality operation. As I stated, my officials will come to me...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My Department regularly engages with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and I hope to meet some of its representatives very soon. Life in Ireland has changed considerably over the past few months and many people in Ireland are living in very difficult circumstances. This is why my Department quickly rolled out supports like the Covid-19 PUP...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The roadmap was approved by the Government on 9 January 2020 and published on 14 January. It really is a whole-of-Government strategy, with a five-year timeframe and a midterm review in 2022. The best way out of poverty is to get people into work, and that is a key focus of the additional funding for job activation measures contained in the €200 million stimulus package I spoke of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The economy is reopening and, as the Deputy knows, we hope the remaining businesses can open on 10 August. We are following public health advice so I cannot give the Deputy a timeline on when anything will open. It is all based on public health advice, which must be followed and which has served us well. We will base our decisions on that advice. 11 o’clock EUROSTAT has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The community employment 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 community employment is for one year....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. People wanting to stay on longer on community employment schemes has been the most frequent request I have received since becoming Minister. As the Deputy is aware I am new to this Department and will be looking at these issues. I want to get the balance right between getting people back to full-time employment while also recognising that for some people, it is going to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, I am a great believer in common sense. The only problem is that sometimes it is not as common as one might like. The issue is about getting the balance right. Extending duration could impact on opportunities for other people getting onto the scheme. I understand that some really good work is being done by CE schemes throughout the country in some many different areas, and we do not...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this further matter. My Department engaged with external consultants in December 2019 to review all current contracted public employment services, PES, including local employment services. The consultants' report, currently being finalised, will help inform the Government's approach on the future structure of all contracted PES. It is essential that we ensure...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. From the outset, the payment has been made available to both employees and the self-employed. From a peak of more than 600,000 claimants, there are now fewer than...