Results 3,241-3,260 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for supplementary welfare allowance. Following the submission of outstanding required documentation, payment will issue by cheque to the person concerned on Wednesday 6/12/17 and will include all arrears due. An exceptional needs payment will issue on the same day to meet immediate hardship. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Applications (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Entitlement to a fuel allowance has been processed in the case of the person concerned and a fuel allowance has been awarded with effect from 7/11/17. Payment of fuel allowance, inclusive of all outstanding arrears, will be included in the jobseeker’s allowance payment of the person concerned on 5/12/17. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Leave (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Justice and Equality has responsibility for maternity leave which is provided for in the 1994 and 2004 Maternity Acts. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has responsibility for the associated social welfare payment of maternity benefit as provided for in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). On 3 October 2017 I, together with my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I can confirm that my Department received applications for carer allowance (CA) from the person concerned in respect of her mother and son on the 31 May 2017 and 7 June 2017 respectively. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Qualification for dental benefit is based on satisfying certain PRSI conditions; these vary depending on the age of the person concerned. The person concerned would need to have paid 260 PRSI contributions at the relevant classes, either A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the tax year on which the claim is based. In this case, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for widow’s contributory pension was received from the person concerned on the 15th of November 2017. The Deciding Officer has decided that the person concerned has an entitlement to widow’s (contributory) pension of €198.30 per week, the maximum rate payable to a person under age 66. It is noted that the person concerned is currently in receipt of an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The following table provides the details which have been requested by the Deputy in respect of 2015 and 2016. I have also included figures for domiciliary care allowance appeal receipts and outcomes to the end of October 2017.Overall, 79.8% (924) of domiciliary care allowance appeals finalised in 2015, and 80.6% (1,344) of domiciliary care allowance appeals finalised in 2016 had a favourable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. The State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for such employees even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. It is open to individuals to make provision for a pension by way of PRSA which all employers are obliged to facilitate. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The purpose of credited contributions or “credits” is to protect social insurance entitlements by bridging gaps in an employee’s social insurance record, where they are not in a position to pay PRSI, such as for period of unemployment or illness. Therefore in general credits can only be awarded where an individual has had a recent attachment to the workforce i.e. within...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: A Public Services Card is a physical token that may be issued to a person once they successfully complete a SAFE 2 identity verification process. SAFE 2 identity verification is currently required for: - Access to Social Welfare Services (including Child Benefit and Treatment Benefits) - First time adult passport applicants in the state - Replacement of lost, stolen or damaged passports...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The State pension (transition) SPT was introduced in 1970 when it was known as the retirement pension and was designed to bridge the gap between the standard social welfare pension age, which at that time was 70 years of age, and retirement age. Over time, the age for State pension (contributory) was reduced to 66 years. However, evidence shows that a significant number of people coming on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Administration (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Maternity Benefit is paid by my Department and is based on payment of PRSI contributions while working. The current entitlement to paid maternity leave is 26 weeks. The table below estimates the cost of increasing the duration for which maternity benefit is paid by one to seven weeks.These estimates are based on the cost for a full year and assume that any increase in duration is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Christmas bonus is payable to persons who are in receipt of long term social welfare payments. Illness Benefit is primarily a short term scheme and, as such, is not a qualifying payment for the purpose of the Christmas bonus. A person who finds that their means are insufficient to meet their needs may be eligible for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Appeals (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance is one of a number of non-statutory schemes operated by my Department. Decisions made by officers of the Department are based on published guidelines (available on the Department's website www.welfare.ie) setting out the conditions of entitlement. Decisions that are made on non-statutory schemes cannot be appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to April to 376,000 low income households to assist them with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. Participants on Employment Support Schemes (ESS), can be paid fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Appeals (5 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. Eligibility for fuel allowance is subject to a household means test and other qualifying conditions, such as household composition. With regard to means, a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting 35,000 recipients at a cost of €253 million in 2017. The strategic policy direction of my Department is to return this scheme to its original purpose of being a short-term income support with the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Rent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Administration (6 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the Citizens Information Services (CIS) decided, on 15th February 2017, to restructure the governance arrangements of these services. The decision taken reduces the number of local CIS and MABS company boards from ninety three to a sixteen regional boards...