Results 1,961-1,980 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Credit Unions: Motion [Private Members] (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Fianna Fáil for tabling this motion because it is overdue. Deputy Liam Twomey suggested sending the issue back to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform for a prolonged engagement. I was on the committee the last time the credit unions came before it and Deputy Michael McGrath and I played an active role during the engagement. The credit...

Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Kerr report comes under the remit of the Minister of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White, but as far as I am aware it is open for public consultation. I suggest that all Members and the general public make submissions in that area. We are all used to An Post, but the model of business is moving very quickly. We have only to look at our own...

Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: That is positive for the economy and for society. The unintentional consequence is that there is less business from the Department of Social Protection going through the post office network. Therefore, there is an urgency in developing that business model to ensure that post offices survive the next decade.

Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. He was right about the number of post offices that had closed. I have just noticed in my notes that 198 post offices closed between 2007 and 2010. I reassure the Deputy that the Government has consistently stated its commitment to maintaining the post office network, as is clear in the programme for Government. It is a key piece of the social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There are currently no plans to change the eligibility criteria to allow persons who do not currently qualify for Community Employment to participate. Persons not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment may be eligible for other interventions and can be advised of such by their local Intreo Office. Pathways to Work 2015 includes targets for Quarter 3 2015, to develop options...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 68,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015. In Dublin, there...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE Sponsoring Organisations were apprised of their responsibilities under this Act at that time. CE Supervisors may also qualify for the State Pension at 66 years of age. If they have accrued...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There are approximately 68,000 rent supplement recipients, of which over 25,400 are in Dublin, for which the Government has provided a total of over €298 million for in 2015. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment is generally made to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €27.9 million for the ENP scheme in 2015. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Discussions at the invitation of SIPTU and Impact, which took place earlier this year, were conducted with the Department’s CE Policy Unit. The Deputy will be aware that CE supervisors are the employees of private companies. In the circumstances, it is not possible for the State to take over responsibility for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Since Community Employment (CE) commenced in April 1994, the period for which a CE Sponsor contracts with a supervisor is a matter between the Sponsor as the employer, and the supervisor, as the employee. However, DSP funding is only provided for the duration of the Agreement that DSP has with the Sponsoring organisation which is on an annual basis. Supervisors (and participants) are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the Community Employment (CE) programme is under the remit of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) since the enactment of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010. Under the programme, DSP provides funding for local sponsoring organisations to provide training, upskilling and educational opportunities for jobseekers and other vulnerable groups...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The savings to the health budget attributable to services provided by Community Employment (CE) schemes is a matter for the Department of Health. There are approximately 2,650 health and social care places currently on CE as at the end of May 2015. These CE places are filled by persons on jobseekers allowance, one parent family payment and persons on a disability-related payment e.g....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (18 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities on a temporary basis. The Department’s priority in supporting CE is having access to schemes that can provide jobseekers and other vulnerable groups with good quality work...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (18 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 68,000 rent supplement recipients, with over 2,060 recipients in the Wicklow area. The Government has provided over €298...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank members of the committee for engaging in pre-legislative scrutiny and the committee for its report which has been extremely useful. This has been a learning experience for everyone within the House and there has been a willingness on the part of the Government to respond to the concerns of Deputies and Senators and take on board amendments. We now have what is recognised broadly as...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We hope to bring it into opeation as soon as possible.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Absolutely. The Deputy will be aware that it is a standard provision.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I have acknowledged the contributions made by Deputies. I also acknowledge the Tánaiste's work on the Bill. As the committee is aware, the Bill, as it stands, requires an applicant for a gender recognition certificate to provide supporting statements from an endocrinologist or a psychiatrist and have already transitioned to his or her preferred gender. The amendment will remove the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I have concerns about being so open regarding the Bill. We have undergone a process right from the very start, from Report Stage in the Seanad to moving from 18 down to 16 with safeguards on the recommendation of the Attorney General. We are really now talking about amendment No. 11 to section 9. We are jumping around the place. I have met and listened to parents. We have met...