Results 2,501-2,520 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension (contributory), all contributions, paid or credited, over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. The homemaker's scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: As a result of more people living to pension age and living longer in retirement the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision. This demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year – not including the impact of rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (10 Oct 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: State Pensions Reform (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Pensions reform is a priority for my term as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and I can confirm the Government’s intention to publish and commence the implementation of a pensions reform plan in the coming months. Perhaps the most fundamental reform measure which will be contained within this plan will relate to the development of a new auto enrolment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled by my officials and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 659, 678 and 691 together. The rent supplement scheme, administered by my Department, plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting in excess of 37,460 recipients for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. A county breakdown of rent supplements recipients as at end September 2017 is provided in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that for the purpose of means testing for weekly social assistance schemes, account is taken of property other than the family home owned by the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, other capital such as savings, investments and shares, and any income of the claimant or spouse. The means test for weekly social assistance schemes provides for a disregard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a jobseekers payment, the eligibility criteria for which state that the person must be available for and genuinely seeking full time employment. Additionally, they are required, when requested to do so, to engage with the department’s activation measures, avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities or specified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned on 6/10/17 provided a credit union statement and a letter from the householder as evidence of his current address, and advised that he has no other documentary evidence to support his residency. The matter is currently under review and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome in due course.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: In assessing means for social assistance payments, account is taken of the income and the value of capital and property of the claimant.Social welfare legislation provides that the yearly value of property (including capital) owned but not personally used or enjoyed is assessable for social assistance payments. Such property includes all monies held in financial institutions or otherwise, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Programmes (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include employment schemes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús. These schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping stone back to employment. The objective of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include employment schemes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús. These schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping stone back to employment. The objective of...

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

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 22 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: School Meals Programme (10 Oct 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 by an additional €5.5 million which is benefitting over 50,000 additional children from September 2017 bringing the total number of schools in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Under the legislative provisions governing the award of rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment is made to the tenant. Rent supplement is specifically for the benefit of tenants to assist them with their accommodation needs. There is no direct relationship between the landlord and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the schemes referred to by the Deputy are not statutory schemes, their terms and conditions are not set out in legislation. These administrative schemes are governed by the operating guidelines which are updated by my Department from time to time. Guidelines covering the rules of each scheme are available at www.welfare.ie. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Regina Doherty: The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the free travel pass and the social services card of this Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Functions (10 Oct 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 Deputy Finian McGrath 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 Operation (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 673 and 674 together. Following the publication of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme – earlier in the year, the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions around participation on CE. The main purpose of these changes is to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number...

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

Regina Doherty: The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. A PSC is currently issued following a registration process which involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the...