Results 2,201-2,220 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer 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 is...

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

Regina Doherty: Penalty rates were introduced as a means of encouraging jobseekers to engage with activation measures and co-operate with efforts of the Department to assist them in securing employment. The Department is committed, under Pathways to Work, to incentivise the take-up of activation opportunities, including implementing sanctions for failure to engage. The legislation underpinning the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my 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 €31.5 million for exceptional needs payments (ENPs) and urgent needs payments (UNPs) in 2017....

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

Regina Doherty: On foot of the legislative commitment contained in the Social Welfare Act 2016 to carry out an independent report on the amendments to the one parent family payment, and following a tendering process, Indecon Economic Consultants were selected and commenced work on the report in April of this year. I would like to clarify for the Deputy that this report was not due to be completed within...

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

Regina Doherty: The latest Eurostat European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data show that the severe material deprivation rate for lone parent households was 22.6% in Ireland in 2015. This is the second successive year the rate reduced – representing a 9.7 percentage point reduction on the 2013 rate of 32.3%. The Irish rate compares to the EU average of 17.1% in 2015 (see Table 1). The...

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

Regina Doherty: Eurostat does not report on consistent poverty, at-risk-of-poverty or basic deprivation measures based on the principal economic status “unable to work due to disability or illness”. However, in the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), disability is based on the concept of global activity limitation. This is defined as a “limitation in...

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

Regina Doherty: The information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. Number of claims Pending and Average time to Award by scheme at 31 August 2017 Schemes Pending Average time to award (weeks) Jobseeker's Benefit 1,927 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 6,235 2 One-Parent Family Payment 1,092 6 State Pension Contributory (Dom) 2,769 5 Widow, Widower’s...

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

Regina Doherty: The Department cannot at present reliably identify claimant addresses by constituency boundaries. However the following table shows jobseeker payment recipients in Dublin broken down by payment type and claimant’s Intreo Office. Recipients of a jobseekers payment in Dublin INTREO offices 31 August 2017 Office Jobseeker's Allowance Jobseeker's Benefit Jobseeker's Credits Only Total...

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

Regina Doherty: The estimated additional revenue that would be generated if the higher rate of PRSI of 10.75% was increased to 12.75% for persons earning over €110,000 is €119m. This estimate is based on the latest available data and reflects macro-economic indicators for 2018 only. It should be noted that the estimates do not take possible changes in behaviour arising from increasing the...

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 6 June2017 in respect of two care recipients. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in...

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 the 4 August 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, 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: Invalidity Pension 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, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1913 to 1919, inclusive, 1921 and 1923 together. The comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach ” published on 2 May outlined in detail the structures put in place by the Government to ensure a strategic and whole-of Government response to Brexit...

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

Regina Doherty: The Department held an All-Island Sectoral Dialogue on 16 February last, hosted by my predecessor. The theme of this stakeholder engagement event was ‘Brexit: implications for social welfare pensions, social insurance and social welfare rights-entitlements’. The event was attended by some 40 people from civil society and the Department’s citizen representative groups,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2018 (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Mid-Year Expenditure Report, published in July, sets out the Pre-Budget Ceiling for the Department of Social Protection for 2018. The amount included in this ceiling reflects certain demographic pressures primarily relating to the state pension and anticipated savings from reductions in expenditure on the Live Register. As part of the Budget Estimates process, the forecast of changes in...

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

Regina Doherty: Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. Fuel allowance is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. Up until now fuel allowance was payable as a weekly payment only. I recently announced that the Department’s fuel allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are currently nearly 57,000 families with more than 126,000 children in receipt of FIS. The estimated spend...

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

Regina Doherty: An application for State pension (non-contributory) was received from the person concerned on 16 August 2017. A request for further information issued to the person on 29 August 2017 and their reply was received on 4 September 2017. The case is currently being considered by a Deciding Officer. When a decision has been made, the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay....

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1932 and 1933 together. My Department (on behalf of the public service) entered into a contract for the production, personalisation and distribution of 3 million Public Services Cards (PSC) by the end of 2017. To date, over 2.8 million cards have been issued. As the initiative is demand-led, it isn’t possible to predict precisely when three...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1934 and 1935 together. Telephone is the preferred method of communication for many of the Departments customers. The Department is commencing a review of the use of Lo-call numbers from a customer service perspective. Lo-call numbers have been in operation for the Department’s scheme areas for a number of years. These have been coupled with...