Results 2,121-2,140 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Services Programme (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the community services programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a socially inclusive nature. The contribution from the CSP is towards the wage costs of the companies. My Department does not set the wage rate but requires the payment of appropriate wage rates, consistent with local norms. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was awarded Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) at €100 per week from 25 August 2016 after her job had ceased. The Department received information on 2 February 2017 that the person concerned was a full time student on a third level course from 12 September 2016 while concurrently in receipt of her JA payment. As a consequence her Jobseeker’s Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: In Ireland, as in other countries, the contributory pension (which is one of three pensions paid by the Department of Social Protection to those over 66) is aimed primarily at people with sustained contributions towards the Social Insurance Fund which finances it, on a pay as you go basis. Contributions to the Fund are rewarded with greater entitlements and coverage for a range of benefits,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Agreements (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The social security agreement between Ireland and the Republic of Korea, which is provided for in the Social Welfare (Agreement With the Republic of Korea on Social Security) Order 2008 (S.I. No. 552 of 2008), enables periods of social insurance completed in Ireland and in the Republic of Korea to be taken into account, where necessary, by either State in order to qualify for certain benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 1 August 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 27 March 2017. Carer’s allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 11 August 2017 with effect from 13 July 2017, the date the care recipient was discharged from hospital, and the first payment issued to their nominated post office on 17 August 2017. Arrears of allowance due from 13 July 2017 to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 21 June 2017. Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 29 August 2017. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Where a social welfare claimant is in receipt of maintenance payments from a spouse/partner, housing costs incurred by the social welfare claimant (e.g. rent or mortgage payments and/or home improvement loan) up to a maximum of €95.23 per week may be offset against the maintenance payment, with half the balance of the maintenance being assessed as means. These arrangements ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) scheme is available to support persons who are long-term unemployed and wish to develop or take up self-employment opportunities in a new enterprise. The scheme allows a qualified person to retain a reducing proportion of their social protection payment, plus secondary benefits over a two year period. However, it is important to note that if the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The aim of the JobPath service is to assist participants in finding sustainable full-time paid employment by providing intensive individual support and assistance. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for underemployed farmers who are in receipt of specific social welfare supports. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for Carer's Allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 20 July 2017. The application is currently being examined by a deciding officer and once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Payments (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will increase to 67 in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was in receipt of a One Parent Family (OPF) payment from 4 November 2010 until 26 April 2017. Following an investigation into undeclared means relating to employment, her one OPF claim was discontinued in accordance with Departmental legislation and procedures. An overpayment of €20,664.44 was raised relating to the period 2 July 2015 to 26 April 2017 and a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13 June 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24 May 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that the department received an incomplete application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on the 8 June 2017. The application form submitted is an abbreviated version of the application form, intended to be used only by a person already in receipt of CA, who is applying for an increase in respect of an additional care recipient. This abbreviated version...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Medical Card Administration (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Community Welfare Service transferred to this Department from the Health Service Executive in October 2011 and administer the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. All aspects of the administration of the medical card scheme are dealt with by the Health Service Executive. Questions in relation to the operation of the medical card scheme are a matter for my colleague the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Leave Data (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The paternity benefit scheme became operational on 1 September 2016. The number of claims received and awarded in the period 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017 is set out in the table. Detail on the number of people who have received paternity benefit, broken down by county is included in the second table. Paternity Benefit Claims Received 24639 Awarded 23504 Recipients by county ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My department received an application for Carer's Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 May 2017. One of the qualifying conditions is that the means of the person concerned must be less than the statutory limit. Following an investigation it was determined that the means of the person concerned were not less than the statutory limit and that she was therefore not entitled to CA. The...