Results 2,721-2,740 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: If I go off script just for one second, I will be murdered. We are all aware - I know that it looks like I am blue in the face - but perhaps 99% of the people of the country have still not heard us say we are moving to a new model, to which I hope we will move in 2020. We will undertake a public consultation process, from the end of this month or the beginning of December, when...

Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy makes an interesting point. I never copped it before. I have never had a man come into the office at home to complain about this anomaly.

Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Maybe that is why we are talking about it. I was not being smart when I was talked about it being a women's issue. We are proud people. I am not there yet, but my mother is. Other people's mothers were in the situation where they got a surprise, as the Deputy said; when they had reached the end of their working life, they found that they would receive less than they had expected in their...

Other Questions: Legislative Programme (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: In May we approved the drafting of the Bill. We were responding to the commitment in the programme for Government to tackle the problem, but I am also well aware and acknowledge that there are Private Members' Bills to address the issue. The proposed legislation will deal with an area where current employment rights legislation needs to be strengthened without putting an unnecessarily...

Other Questions: Legislative Programme (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: It has not and I will have to find out why. I do not know if there is a reason it has not commenced but it should. I will get instructions thereafter. I give the Deputy a commitment - I say this with tongue in cheek. I am responsible for the Social Welfare Bill and the one that has reached Committee Stage. The Deputy is aware that we are awaiting the amendments which, please God, I will...

Other Questions: Legislative Programme (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I hope to bring it to the Cabinet on Tuesday. If I do, it will be published immediately. The only reason for the delay is the other report. I did not want to publish a Bill and to then have to come back and say to the Deputy I had found a way. The Bill is practically ready. It will definitely be brought to the Cabinet on Tuesday next.

Other Questions: Citizen Information Services (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The decision to restructure MABS was made by the board of the CIB. I think the CIB declined the invitation because the Chairperson and chief executive officer had already met the committee at a meeting in February where they felt the matter was comprehensively discussed. They set out their position clearly, including the rationale for the decision and the details of the lengthy consultation...

Other Questions: Citizen Information Services (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I know I said previously that I was not good at sticking my nose in but I will ask the CIB to very positively consider the joint Oireachtas committee's request to come before it and to do so sooner rather than later. That is the best I can do for the Deputy.

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 78 and 79 together as they all relate to the same issue. I can give the Deputy the very long version or I can just give him the short version that I have already given. The Deputy is able to see the long version, which tells him exactly what we have done, where we are moving to in terms of the total contributions model and details the public consultation...

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy is probably correct in saying that when the changes were introduced in 2012 their impact was probably known. I would go further than that. The authors of the pensions report from 2010 knew what the impact would be on particular women. It was an issue that was known on paper but which probably did not manifest itself fully until the women started to come to the office of Deputy...

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: First, the Deputy must have misunderstood me earlier. There will be no public consultation on this anomaly. We know what we need to do to fix it and we will do it. The public consultation is in regard to probably the most progressive changes we will be making as a State to our total pension contribution system, which will see sweeping changes in 2020. There is absolutely not a chance in...

Other Questions: Working Family Payment (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department’s approach, my approach and that of my predecessor to the working family payment is guided by two principles: first, that we have to ensure that work pays and that it is worthwhile for people to go out to work, and, second, that it should have a positive impact on reducing child poverty in the country, which is still far too high. This is of particular importance to me....

Other Questions: Working Family Payment (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy is right that it was unintentional. He is also right in what he heard. FIS is going to stay but it may be that it is modified to take out some of the inflexibilities that currently exist. What I am intent on doing is making sure the payments that will be under the umbrella of the working family payments ensure that people who are transitioning from unemployment into employment,...

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that the State pension age will be increased gradually over time. This began in 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition), which was available to people aged 65 who satisfied qualifying conditions. This measure standardised the State pension age for all of us to 66 years and this will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028....

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I agree with the Deputy. Others have suggested that I bring in legislation that removes the legal obligation for people to retire at 65, but there is none. We could bring in that legislation, and I think there is a Private Members' Bill on the books already.

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: It would not make any difference. The reason for that is because nobody can be made to retire at 65 today, unless it says so in their contract. That legislation, if one was to bring it forward, would not change those contracts. What we need to do is change society's view so somebody at 65 does not have to be retired if they do not want to be. I met wonderful people yesterday. Sixty is...

Other Questions: State Pensions (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy is right. From our own perspective, we have lost a huge and valuable cohort of people in certain sectors of the public sector because we made them retire at 60. It is mad.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Deputies on all sides of the House are fully aware of the positive benefits derived from schemes like the Rural Social Scheme. In recognition of the crucial work undertaken in rural communities under the scheme, and as part of the social welfare budget package for 2018, I was very pleased to announce an additional 250 places in 2018, as well as an increase in the weekly rate of payment for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Data (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. It is important to note that these types of services, which are delivered under contract by JobPath, Local Employment Service and Job Club providers, do not create employment in themselves rather...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 85 together. The General Scheme of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2017, which was published in May, contained a number of key measures to respond to the ongoing difficulties in defined benefit schemes and to increase protections for members. The proposals provide for – i) the introduction of a time limit for submitting funding proposals...