Results 18,821-18,840 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under Social Welfare legislation students are disqualified from receiving jobseekers allowance while attending a course of study, including school or college holiday periods and for the 3 month period after completing the Leaving Certificate or leaving second level education. Following the cancellation of this year's Leaving Certificate Examination, these students will be eligible to apply...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is an established national initiative, funded by the Department of Education and Skills and managed by the Irish Research Council. The scholarship includes: - a stipend of €16,000 per annum - a contribution to fees, including non-EU fees, up to a maximum of €5,750 per annum - eligible direct research expenses of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Protection of Employment Act 1977 makes it mandatory on employers to notify the Minister of a proposed collective redundancy. ‘Collective redundancies’ arise where, during any period of 30 consecutive days, the employees being made redundant are: - 5 employees where 21-49 are employed. - 10 employees where 50-99 are employed. - 10% of the employees where 100-299 are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval. It should be noted that the appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 463 together. The pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Government has set employment recovery as its top priority and the jobs stimulus package to be announced later this month will assist people back into work. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, an application for an exceptional needs payment (ENP) has not been received from the person concerned. An application form was issued to the person concerned on 17/07/2020. When the necessary documentation has been received an Officer of my Department will assess the application and contact the person concerned with a decision. I trust this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 976,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (21 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. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as a time limited emergency measure in response to the pandemic. A two level payment structure has been introduced to link the pandemic unemployment payment level to prior earnings. If a recipient’s gross weekly earnings were €200 or higher then there is no change to their rate of payment. If a person’s gross...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together. Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 21, 000 recipients. The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is claiming Illness Benefit since 4th April 2020 and is being paid at the personal rate of €159 per week. The rate of Illness Benefit payment is based on a person's weekly earnings in the governing contribution year; for claims made in 2020, that year is 2018. As the person concerned had weekly earnings in 2018 between €220.00-€299.99, she qualifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 924 full-rate paid and credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment (5 December 1960) to end-December 2009, which equates to a yearly average of 18 contributions. This gives them an entitlement to a reduced rate of State pension (contributory), at 75% of the maximum rate, which has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The enhanced Illness Benefit payment is payable where a person has a diagnosis of COVID 19 or where they are medically certified as being a probable source of infection. In cases where the person is self-isolating on the instruction of a doctor or the HSE due to being a probable source of infection of COVID-19 enhanced Illness Benefit is paid for a maximum of 4 weeks. If a person receives a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (21 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 since March 2020 are - Collective Redundancies Notified March April May June July (to 15/07) ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 477 together. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provides for increases to the State pension age to make the State pension system more sustainable as life expectancy increases. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State Pension (Transition). This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that neither my Department nor the agencies under its remit have had any contracts with the company referred to during the period from 1 January 2016 to 14 July 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an income support payment for both employees and the self-employed who have become fully unemployed due to a downturn in economic activity related to Covid-19. The PUP is payable where a person meeting the qualifying criteria became unemployed on or after 06/03/2020....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: From the 29/06/2020 the rate of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) which a person receives depends on their gross weekly employment earnings. The rate of PUP is based on prior earnings notified to Revenue. It is important to note that my Department can only accept earnings which have been notified to Revenue and subject to PRSI. According to the records of my Department the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Graduates who complete their education may apply for a jobseeker's payment if they are unable to obtain employment. Jobseekers benefit is an income support, for people who satisfy the conditions of the scheme including the requirement to have a certain number of paid social insurance contributions; they must have suffered a substantial loss of employment and are available for full time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 6,669 appeals at various stages of the appeals process. Under Article...