Results 18,701-18,720 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: From the 29th June the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) which a person will receive will depend on their gross weekly employment earnings as follows; - For those whose prior gross earnings were €200 per week or higher (about 75% of recipients), the PUP payment rate will remain at €350 per week; - For those whose prior gross earnings were up to €199.99 per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2020 Revised Estimate of Expenditure was voted on by the Oireachtas on 28 May 2020. This Revised Estimate provided for an overall estimate of €28.04 billion, an increase of €6.84 billion or 32.2% on the original 2020 REV estimate published in December 2019, but which had not been voted. The increased expenditure was required to provide funding for the new Covid-19 measures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) 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 (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. The number of state pension non-contributory pension claims registered and in payment at the end of December in the years 2016 to 2019 and to at the end of June 2020. Claims Registered Claims in Payment June 2020 4,871 95,247 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals Officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the High Court and decisions have to be formally...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: 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.  However, Community Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: There are a range of supports available from my Department for people following a bereavement.  Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.  An application can be made under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no backlogs in most of the Department's scheme areas at present.  All scheme areas are up to date on claim processing with the exception of the jobseekers scheme where...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions finance pension payments to an earlier generation of contributors and also pay for benefits to people who are temporarily economically inactive through illness or short-term unemployment.  In return, contributors build up entitlements which will be paid to them as of right, without having to undergo a means test, when they themselves need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of this year, Ireland has witnessed unprecedented levels of unemployment.  Research published by my Department found that young people in particular have been hardest hit by the pandemic, and are over-represented in the sectors most affected by public health restrictions (hospitality, retail and accommodation). Even though the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Eligibility to child benefit has been reviewed in this case as a claim was received from another party in respect of the child in question.  As there was conflicting information provided by both parties, the file was assigned to a Social Welfare Investigator (SWI) in March 2020.  Following an investigation into the residence of the child, the SWI submitted a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the publication of the July Jobs Stimulus which will build on existing supports to get Ireland's businesses back on their feet and as many people as possible back to work quickly. As part of this effort, my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation, Research and Science will deliver a €200m package of income, employment and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The Government has provided €152.9m for the scheme in 2020 which operates from June to September. The allowance is payable for eligible children between the ages...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An official of my Department reviewed this case and I can confirm that on completion of the review it was determined that the PUP rate will be restored to €350 per week.  Any arrears due will be paid to the person concerned next week. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Social insurance benefits are made available on the basis that when a certain contingency or risk materialises the person involved will need a replacement income. Benefits are intended to replace lost income where a person is, for some reason, not able to engage with the labour force.  Where there is no recent history of contributions being paid or credited then there is no entitlement...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Crime Prevention (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has not provided funding to the organisation referred to by the Deputy for the specific purposes of paying the award mentioned. In the past, my Department has provided funding to the organisation to cover a portion of its operational costs.  The most recent funding provided in respect of these costs was for the period August 2018 to July 2019. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Freedom of Information (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is processing one Freedom of Information request at present. It is not envisaged that the deadline for response to this request will be extended.

Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, if I could.

Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A number of issues have been raised. First, the payment for the self-employed is relative to what they put in their tax returns in 2018. I stated earlier that if they have updated figures for 2019, they should please lodge them with Revenue and we are happy to look at them and, if we can, we will increase their payments. To be very clear, we are not trying to harass anybody. One can...