Results 2,321-2,340 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: There is no legal framework under which is it deemed mandatory for a person to respond to invitations being sent by the Department to discuss the issuing of Public Services Cards. Where the Department may issue such an invitation, it is entirely a matter for the invitee to accept that invitation or otherwise. Separately, the Department makes it clear to customers in receipt of social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (20 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 13 September 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. If a person is in receipt of another social welfare payment in their own right (other than unemployment payments or supplementary welfare allowance) or being claimed as a qualified adult...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 2 August 2107 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: To qualify for a state pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 paid contributions and satisfy a yearly average condition (a yearly average of 48 contributions paid or credited is required for a full rate State pension (contributory), and reduced rates of payment may be payable for pensioners with lower averages). Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with one or more qualified children. The scheme provides additional financial support to employees on low pay. One of the conditions for receipt of FIS is that an applicant or the applicant and spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The savings arising from the initial reduction and subsequent discontinuance of the telephone allowance meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. My Department will spend approximately €232 million this year on these elements of the household benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Sharing Arrangements (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The project relates to the verification of personal identity to a substantial level of assurance. In 2005, the Government agreed a standard for establishing and verifying an individual’s identity for the purposes of accessing public services. This standard is known as the Standard Authentication Framework Environment – or “SAFE”. The SAFE standard has four levels:...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware from her previous correspondence with the relevant Area Manager, the person concerned was referred to Jobpath, one of the department’s activation measures, earlier this year and was advised that they should discuss their business plans with their personal advisor, after which the advisor would be in a position to refer them to the relevant services to support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: In order to qualify for a widower’s contributory pension, the surviving spouse must be deemed, under Irish law, to be the legal widower of the deceased. The person concerned was previously married in Ireland and subsequently divorced in Northern Ireland. In order for a foreign divorce to be recognised in this State, one of the parties must be domiciled in the country granting the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Jobsireland.ieis a web service that enables employers to post job opportunities and jobseekers to search and apply for these opportunities online. There are currently almost 6,500 vacancies advertised on the site. The service has been available since the 1990s and was originally provided on a website operated by FÁS. When my Department took over responsibility for the public employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations at a total cost of some €47.5 million in 2017. As part of Budget 2017, the funding for the scheme was substantially increased this year by an additional €5.5 million (13% over the previous year’s allocation) which will benefit over 50,000 additional children from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Payments (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The gentleman concerned has been in receipt of invalidity pension since 11 June 2009. The department received a claim for widower’s contributory pension from him on 02 August 2017 and he...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: All dealings and decisions made by corporate or individual trustees of an occupational pension scheme are governed by legislation and enforced through the supervision of the Pension Authority. Legislation together with the trust deed and scheme rules sets out the trustees’ duties and responsibilities. Trustees of pension schemes must act in the best financial interests of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Equality (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Policy responsibility for gender equality in employment remains with my colleagues the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD and David Stanton TD, Minister of State for Justice with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration, and Integration. To that end, the Department of Justice and Equality are currently undertaking a public consultation seeking views on the factors...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides for the disregard of certain compensation awards when assessing the means of a person for social assistance means testing purposes. My Department is currently considering the appropriate legislative amendments for disregarding awards from the Stardust compensation scheme. It should be noted that any such awards have been disregarded on an administrative...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The full year cost of increasing the age-related reduced rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance, from €102.70 per week (for 18 to 24 year olds) and €147.80 per week (for 25 year olds) to €193 per week is €108.9 million in 2018. This includes the cost of bringing the qualified adult rate for those on the €102.70 rate up to the maximum of €128.20 per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 619,880 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 726, 736 and 743 together. The State pension is a valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the pension system. There are two State pensions related to State pension age. The State pension (non-contributory) is a means-tested pension funded from taxation, whereas the State pension (contributory) is not means-tested and is paid from the Social Insurance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 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...