Results 3,101-3,120 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Other Questions: Employment Rights (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Deputy Brady is aware that this is a particular bugbear of mine. Bogus self-employment arises when an employer wrongly treats a worker as an independent contractor in order to avoid paying tax and social insurance contributions. There are no official data on the extent of bogus self-employment but I wish there was. It is not clear whether the problem is growing but, anecdotally, we are all...

Other Questions: Employment Rights (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: We are not still considering the 23 submissions. They have been considered. My real concern is that there were only 23 in The report is being considered by me and the Minister for Finance. I expect to be able to publish it in the next couple of weeks with a view to determining actions we will take at the beginning of next year to address the issue. My concerns are twofold. It is not...

Other Questions: Employment Rights (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy might be confused as there are many different inspectors and sections in our Department. The inspectors who look after this have nothing to do with trying to figure out if a person is on a jobseeker's payment. That is somebody else's job. The inspectors involved with assessing insurability contributions go into a job and see that a person is in class S when he or she should be...

Other Questions: Employment Rights (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Absolutely.

Other Questions: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Scheme trustees have duties and responsibilities under trust law, under other relevant legislation and under the Pensions Act 1990, as amended. The duties of pension scheme trustees include administering the trust in accordance with the law and the terms of the trust deed and rules. I had previously confirmed that the matter relating to the scheme we spoke about recently has been raised by...

Other Questions: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: We requested the investigation at the Deputy's request. I am very happy to have done that. We saw this parliamentary question come in this week and we contacted the authority again, which gave us the assurance that the investigation is being actively pursued. I hope the Deputy appreciates that I am not in a position to give her a date on it, but we will keep in constant contact to ensure...

Other Questions: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy knows I agree with her. The Pensions Act 1990 is the legislation that must be amended but the Taxes Consolidation Act allows flexible options. That is the area where what we are discussing must be reflected. I have written to the Minister to ask him to do so. When we launch the public consultation on pension reform, it will be the time to sit down and determine exactly what is...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: If I am to be really honest, I was not 100% sure about what the Deputy was asking but now I am sure. Is the Deputy's concern that when the fuel allowance is not being paid, people will not get their telephone allowance?

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: They absolutely will. The determining factor for people who receive the telephone allowance is that they have to be in receipt of a payment or the fuel allowance. We cross-reference anybody who is in receipt of the fuel allowance or other payments and he or she is entitled to receive the telephone allowance which will be paid on a weekly basis. The two conditions will determine who will...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I understand totally what the Deputy is saying, but I do not know the answer. I know that people can only apply for the fuel allowance on a bi-annual basis. If in May a person thinks he or she might qualify for the fuel allowance, he or she should be able to apply for it at that stage. I will reflect on the matter and revert to the Deputy. In order to receive the telephone allowance one...

Other Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: All persons in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment are required to be seeking full-time work, a condition which a person must satisfy at all times. Customers referred to JobPath who are also working part time will have all activities, including meetings with their personal adviser, scheduled around their work commitments. The JobPath contractors are required to be flexible in the...

Other Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: There is no competition between activation programmes. Tús, the community employment programme, Seetech and Turas Nua are all providing activation programmes which are slightly different for different people, but there is no competition between the community employment programme and JobPath as activation measures. They are different streams of processes supported by the Department of...

Other Questions: JobPath Programme (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: That is why we choose very carefully who is sent to JobPath, the commmunity employment programme or Tús. With respect, each of them provides a different level of training or work experience to make sure people are job-ready. JobPath provides participants with a guaranteed service which includes not only one to one support and training but also a continual counselling and advice service...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: We missed Questions Nos. 40, 44, 45 and 48.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The next question is supposed to be Question No. 40 in the name of Deputy Ruth Coppinger.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Why did we pass it?

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 57 together. In his previous role as Minister for Social Protection, the Taoiseach gave a commitment on Report Stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 in the Dáil that he would ask officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I can give a definite date as to when I had the report as I received it yesterday. I cannot give the Deputy all the recommendations because the report is incredibly complex. I did meet the representatives of these workers, although I do not know if it was the Deputy or somebody else who organised it for me. I understand the exact situation that pertains to the people in the Deputy's county...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am not trying to be smart but I think the people I met in Donegal are special because seasonal workers in the rest of the country are not quite in the same position. In the next couple of weeks, the Deputy and I can talk about how we can specifically fix the issue affecting the people he represents.

Other Questions: Child Maintenance Payments (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 49 together. We had a conversation about this under an earlier question. The Family Law Acts are the civil legislation that requires a man or woman, who wants to claim maintenance from their spouse, to go to family mediation or seek redress through the courts. There is a condition in the one-parent family payment in my Department that a parent...