Results 2,381-2,400 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (26 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 21 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: Departmental Staff Recruitment (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government Departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Programme for Government commitment in this area is to "consolidate all means testing under a single national body ensuring a single application process for services or entitlements across all government agencies". This proposal would be a major project across a range of Government departments and agencies that operate schemes and services on a means/income tested basis of which my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 512 together. Progressive reform of the pension system is a priority of mine and this Government. To this end, I can confirm the Government’s intention to publish, and commence the implementation of, a pensions reform plan before the end of this year. The plan will include measures relating to the introduction of a ‘Total...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Internationally, as well as in Ireland, Defined Benefit (DB) schemes have been facing increased difficulties over the last two decades. This has been due to volatility in the stock markets, increasing liabilities arising from the demographic pressures of increasing life expectancy, low interest rates and regulatory requirements. Essentially the cost of providing benefits has increased at a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (26 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: Public Services Card (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: To ensure that people’s identity is verified to a substantial level of assurance, my Department has implemented an identity registration process called SAFE. That process involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data. Items of the identity dataset that are verified include the date and place of birth as well as the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 19 April 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 22 July 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has reported, a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Eligibility (26 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), which had been available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. This is the current State pension age. It will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As part of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) process, each participant is issued with a form at the end of the academic year, this is to confirm the finish date of their course and to determine a participant’s intentions for the future academic year. This form issued to the person concerned in April 2017 and was due to be returned before the end of May. To date, no form has been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517 and 518 together. Community Employment (CE) schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a qualifying of social welfare payments. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: In recent Budgets my Department has protected primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as the State pension. Any decision to reinstate the Bereavement Grant would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations. It is worth...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 26 May 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Following an investigation undertaken by the Special Investigations Unit and based on the information available to the Department, a departmental error is not considered to have occurred in this case. The person concerned has been informed of her right to appeal the decision of the Deciding Officer to the Social Welfare Appeals Office which functions independently of the Department. I trust...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (27 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: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Government’s authority to delegate powers and duties to Ministers of State is contained in section 2 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977. On 14 June 2017 Minister Finian McGrath T.D. was reappointed Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Health with special responsibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (27 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Training on Community Employment (CE) is based on the personal and occupational needs of each individual and is identified through the tailored Individual Learning Plan (ILP), agreed between the CE Supervisor and the participant and approved by my Department. A participant training grant is allocated to each CE Scheme. During their time on CE, participants are encouraged and supported to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (27 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Section 7 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides for a review of the Act to commence within 2 years of enactment of the legislation. My Department is working on this and I hope to be in a position to establish the review group shortly and its terms of reference will then be finalised. The matters covered by the review will include issues relating to gender recognition for children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Eligibility (27 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together. The rural social scheme (RSS) provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen/women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen and participants have the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (27 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a qualifying of social welfare payments. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. The total number of...