Results 2,481-2,500 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (3 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 23 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: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (3 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 6 June 2017. The application was awarded to the person concerned on 28 September 2017 and the first payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 12 October 2017. Arrears of allowance due from 8 June 2017 to 11 October 2017 will issue shortly. The person concerned was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (3 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 9 May 2017. 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 connection with normal bodily...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (3 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The rural social scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative to provide part-time employment opportunities in the community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen in receipt of certain social welfare payments and underemployed in their primary occupation. As the Deputy is aware, in recognition of the crucial work undertaken in rural communities under the RSS and as part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (3 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: All Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) participants, with eligibility based on a qualifying payment, must re-establish their entitlement to the qualifying payment at the beginning of each and subsequent academic year. The conditionality attached to the qualifying payment must be examined at the beginning of each academic year in order for BTEA to be approved. BTEA participants who...

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I thank not only the Deputies present here tonight but all the Deputies who have contributed to the debate over the past number of months. I welcome their feedback. I do not necessarily agree with all of it but I welcome it. I challenge Deputy Martin Kenny to call any woman in her 60s "elderly" to her face. I guarantee him that none would thank him for it.

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I will contain my remarks to what is in the Bill although I recognise that Sinn Féin Deputies, and only Sinn Féin Deputies, have repeatedly raised their issues with JobPath, not only in this session but in previous sessions. I suggested a number of weeks ago to their spokesperson who apparently has a large dossier of complaints that he might give them to me. I am still waiting on...

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Government's point is not to bring in a national identity card. The public services card does not have the characteristics of a national identity card that may exist in other countries. It is absolutely not a requirement to have a public services card on one's person. A member of the Garda Síochána cannot ask to see a person's PSC as it would be against the law. The card...

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registrations Bill 2017: Referral to Select Committee (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Employment and Social Protection pursuant to Standing Orders 84A(3)(a) and 149(1) of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. The department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is continued entitlement. CA is in payment to the person concerned since 5 November 2009 and a review of means...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13thJune 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers have been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Programmes (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The customer was referred to the Job Club service on 12thJune 2017 and attended in September 2017. The customer was also referred to the JobPath service on 17thJune 2017, and agreed a personal progression plan with the JobPath provider on 6thJuly 2017. Having been referred to JobPath which provides an intensive 12 month programme of support for the Long Term Unemployed the customer’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Services Programme (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Community Services Programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services.The CSP provides a contribution to the wage costs of the companies on the basis that the services are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. 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 which will benefit over 50,000 additional children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) on 4th September 2017. The application was refused as it was considered reasonable that they could provide clothing from their total household income. Their means were in excess of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate.The legislative basis for this decision is Section 201 - Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that, in the assessment of means for jobseeker’s allowance, account shall be taken of any property owned other than the family home, other capital such as savings, and any income including non-cash benefits. Non-cash benefits are defined in legislation as “the net cash value to the person of his or her annual housing costs actually incurred...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The contract with Biometric Card Services (BCS) was signed in December 2009. The value of this contact was just under €18.3 million (excluding VAT) for the production, personalisation and distribution of 3 million Public Service Cards (PSC) plus associated help desk services. To date BCS have been paid €22.9 million (excluding VAT). The increase in costs arises from changes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Data (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The data that may be displayed and/or electronically stored on the Public Services Card (PSC) is set out at sections 263 (1A) and section 263 (1B) respectively of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). The following sets out where each data item appears or is stored on the PSC:- the name of the person: Face of PSC and Chip - the personal public service number (PPSN) of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Act 2016, enacted on 19 December 2016, included a commitment that a review of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) scheme since January 2012 would be laid before the Houses of Oireachtas within 9 months of the enactment of the Act. The review was to assess the financial and social effects of the OFP changes taking into account the effects on welfare...