Results 3,121-3,140 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Other Questions: Child Maintenance Payments (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I wish to put on the record of the House my gratitude to the lady in question, who was here earlier on. If she was not brave enough to go to a young journalist, Ellen Coyne, this week, I do not think I would have been aware of this case. We had heard anecdotal evidence but "he said-she said" scenarios are very difficult to work on. This lady was exceptionally brave. She is a fabulous...

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

Regina Doherty: Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlements to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, subject to the normal qualifying conditions. The SWA can be paid while a person is awaiting the decision on another payment, for example, disability allowance or jobseeker's allowance. People who are unable to provide evidence of...

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

Regina Doherty: There is no discrimination. A specific protocol was established for Dublin because, unfortunately, the problem of homelessness is more prevalent here than in other parts of the country. I reiterate that anyone in any part of the country who is experiencing homelessness can avail of weekly social welfare payments and supplementary welfare allowance payments through their local Intreo...

Social Welfare Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: It is very unfair.

Social Welfare Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I thank Deputies on all sides of the House for their contributions on Second Stage in the past couple of days. I will take up a point made by Deputy Bernard J. Durkan about the people who have gone through the greatest trauma in the past six or seven years. Some have still not recovered, which is why when I opened the debate last Thursday, I spoke about how I hoped the Bill reflected the...

Social Welfare Bill 2017: Referral to Select Committee (29 Nov 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) schemes are typically sponsored by groups (known as CE Sponsors) wishing to benefit the local community. Such schemes provide a valuable service to local communities, while at the same time, providing training and educational opportunities to job seekers.The total expenditure for CE in 2016 was just over €361 million. A breakdown of this CE expenditure, for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 44, 45 and 48 together. The current rate bands applying to the State pension contributory were introduced from September 2012, replacing previous rates introduced in 2000. The rate bands prior to 2000 were less generous, and the improved rate bands introduced in 2000 were a feature of the economic and political environment at that time. The economic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Single Customer View (SCV) was developed to enable sharing of Public Service Identity data (called PSI) in accordance with Sections 262 (5) and 262 (6) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. In addition, the system facilitates the sharing of this PSI data for control purposes in accordance with Section 261 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Only bodies specified in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The objective of the activation process is to provide a professional employment service to help unemployed jobseekers secure and sustain suitable employment and by so doing achieve financial self-sufficiency. This function is carried out by appropriately trained case officers in my Department who provide a personalised supportive collaborative service tailored to meet the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: There are two State pensions. Firstly, the State pension non-contributory is a means-tested pension funded from taxation. Secondly, the State pension contributory, which is not means-tested, is paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Accordingly, it is important to ensure those qualifying for that pension have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Foster Care Policy (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The home-makers scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded in the calculation of the yearly average...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53, 66 and 76 together. The current rate bands applying to the State pension contributory were introduced from September 2012, replacing previous rates introduced in 2000. The rate bands prior to 2000 were less generous, and the improved rate bands introduced in 2000 were a feature of the economic and political environment at that time. The economic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body established by the Oireachtas. In addition to its own statutory responsibilities in relation to information and advocacy service provision, it has statutory responsibility for the countrywide networks of Citizens Information Services (CIS) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).In February of this year, the Board of CIB...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 67 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is demand led and provides assistance to those with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department’s approach to developing the working family payment was guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays, and second, that it should have a positive effect on reducing child poverty. To advance the commitment contained in the Programme for Partnership Government, the Department established an internal working group and an Inter-Departmental Group...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) 2017 to 2021 was launched in July, 2017. It sets out to secure an Irish society in which people with disabilities enjoy equal rights and opportunities to participate in social and cultural life, can take up work if they want to, and have choice and control over how they live their lives. The Strategy sets out 114 actions under a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 64 and 71 together. Spending on State pensions has increased rapidly in recent decades. This year, the cost is €7.3 billion. This is estimated to increase by €1 billion every five years due to the increased number of pensioners. These projections mean that there are considerable sustainability and affordability challenges in the years...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, appeal processing times improved between 2011 and 2016 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 24.1 weeks in 2016 and from 25.1 weeks for a summary decision in 2011 to 17.6 weeks in 2016. I understand from the Chief Appeals Officer that there has been a slight increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (29 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Matters relating to maintenance are for the Department of Justice and Equality and for the Family Courts.The Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976 provides that spouses/civil partners and unmarried parents are required to maintain each other according to their means and needs. Parents, whether married or not, are responsible for the maintenance of their dependent children....