Results 18,741-18,760 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Enterprise Support Grant is being extended to assist eligible self-employed recipients who are exiting the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme after 25th June 2020 to re-start their business.  A once-off grant will be awarded for 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of €1,000 covering vouched costs associated with re-opening a business which was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 and 606 together. The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of the July stimulus package the Government announced the further extension of the pandemic unemployment payment to April 2021.  One of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work, family payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.  In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner, or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. An application for WFP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department the person concerned made an application for the exceptional needs payment towards the cost of clothing on 10/7/2020.  This application was refused on the basis that the need was determined not to be exceptional.  The person concerned was advised of this decision by letter on 10/07/2020.  She was further advised if she was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 to 579, inclusive, together. The emergency Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment was designed to support employees and self-employed people, aged between 18 and under 66, who were in employment or self-employment immediately prior to 13 March 2020 and have lost their employment due to the downturn in economic activity as a result of the COVID 19...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 provides that employers proposing a collective redundancy must notify the Minister of the proposed collective redundancy.  The statistics in relation to collective redundancy notifications to date in 2020 are - Collective Redundancies Notified  Number of Notifications Received ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment which aims to help householders on long-term social welfare payments with their heating costs during the winter season.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one allowance is paid per household. The applicant must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions, which include being in receipt of a qualifying payment,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay Commission (28 Jul 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 Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: From 29th June, the higher rate of Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is only payable to customers who had average weekly reckonable income of €200 or greater from self-employment prior to applying for the PUP.  For self-employed customers, the last year for which complete data is available is 2018.  This is the year which was used in determining the correct rate of PUP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, to provide income support to those who had lost their jobs. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below. In order to qualify for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. Recipients of child benefit at the end of June 2020 by families and children. Family Size (No Of Children) Number Of Families Number Of Children 1 Child 251,039 251,039 2 Children 244,144 488,288 3...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children.  The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. In order to satisfy the habitual residence condition, the person must have a legal right of residence in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: During the COVID-19 emergency, the Government has been seeking to implement and operate supports that are targeted where most needed, to ensure continued economic activity and reduce the risk of poverty.  In March, as part of Government COVID-19 response measures, the Fuel Allowance scheme was extended by four weeks until Friday, 8th May 2020.  At a cost of €36.61...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is the policy of my Department to standardise and simplify its application forms as much as possible. Plain English principles are applied in the design of all primary application forms to ensure that they are available in a simple, clear, easy to read format that is accessible to people with different levels of literacy ability. In this regard my Department has  been working with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) 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 scheme operates from June to the end of September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department 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.  This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (28 Jul 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).   For those entitled to Free Travel, their PSC bears a Free Travel token,  which they can use when travelling on public transport services.   At...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (28 Jul 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 in March 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 14 March 2017.  They applied for State pension (contributory) on 6 October 2017.  Under current eligibility conditions, an applicant must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for State pension (contributory).  Credits cannot be used to satisfy this condition. 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of...