Results 3,341-3,360 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The action plan for jobless households in all of our local employment schemes, Intreo offices and departmental offices is based on voluntary participation. The pilot in the Action Plan for Jobs is being done in five regions. We will probably do it for approximately six months before we see real, quantitative data. In my experience, and it may be the Senator's also, when offered assistance,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: A personal progression plan is an organic document that is personal to the individual jobseeker. I cannot state in more strenuous terms that it is not a contract or a legally binding document. It is a progression plan for someone who is out of work to get him or her into work. It is as simple as that. The Senator, as have others, has referred to them but these plans are not unique to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes. It should not happen.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: First of all, there is no need.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I beg the Acting Chairman's pardon.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Let me confirm that the personal progression plan is not a contract. It is not a legally binding document. It is not something that can be forced. It is supposed to be an aid, a pathway for somebody who is unemployed to being in employment. There is already a legal obligation on a jobseeker to inform the Department of a change in circumstances. It is not like we are trying to find out...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes, absolutely. It is all about helping the person. It is not about being prescriptive because no two people and their pathways or barriers to work will be exactly the same. Just to let the Senator know, I will keep visiting the offices. If there are specific cases and they come in numbers, of course, I will look at them because I do not want anecdotal talk maligning something that is...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: We recognise that the labour market is changing. We have moved away from the historical and traditional working patterns to the gig economy. There is a whole new way of working that we never had before and the job activation schemes must reflect same. There are two reasons I do not want to apply this provision, specifically on its own. I ask the Senator to withdraw her amendment because...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I totally agree with the Senator. I hope that her suggestion will form part of the report that we bring back to the joint committee and then we can talk about the best way forward.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: If the Senator withdraws her amendment and resubmits, it we will have a proper conversation on the matter tomorrow.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Amendment No. 14 addresses the qualified child increases, QCI. I totally recognise not just what Senator Higgins said, but what NGOs have said, that it costs more money to raise teenagers. I have a few of them at home. We know that they go round with their hands out all of the time and that they grow out of clothes more quickly. I do not need to be told that. I would have loved to have...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: We will get that information to the Senator before the end of January. It will feed into what we will do next year.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: Through the Chair, there is an amendment from the Dáil. I will issue the report that is being prepared by my Department with its recommendations to fix the anomaly the day I bring it to Cabinet.That is what is agreed. I am going to do that anyway.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: I might be able to tick all of those boxes. The reason I think these measures got through the gender proofing test is that it does not just affect women. I know it affects more women than men, but only marginally. Those affected are 60% women and 40% men, so we are nearly equally discriminatory to both sexes. That still does not make it all right. Let us talk about the three different...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The anomaly is going to be dealt with in January, so that is separate. For those people the Senator is talking about, when we introduced total contributions, it was not just for new entrants so there will be a period where people who are currently being adjudicated under the averaging system can move to total contributions. I do not know if the period will be one year or three years as that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Data (14 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The University of Limerick (UL), in their study on zero hour contracts and low hour contracts, were not able to quantify the numbers of people on zero hour contracts or “if and when” contracts. However, based on their stakeholder interviews, UL found that zero hour contracts within the meaning of Section 18 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 are not extensively used...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The farm/fish assist schemes provide support for farmers and fishermen on low incomes and are similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2017 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €82.8 million on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (14 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: In general PRSI is payable on income which is subject to income tax. One of the exceptions to this is that PRSI is not chargeable on any social welfare payment. Farm assist is a means tested social assistance payment available to farmers on low income. Accordingly it is not subject to PRSI. Farmers on low income may be required to pay PRSI on their self-employed income from farming....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (14 Dec 2017)

Regina Doherty: The total number of Departmental staff, by premises and grade, working for my Department in Drogheda are summarised in the table as follows: Department Premises Assistant Principal Higher Executive Officer Executive Officer Clerical  Officer Temporary Clerical  Officer Service  Officer TOTAL Intreo Custom House Quay, Drogheda 1 9.8 14.1 21.2 1 1 48.1 Intreo Dyer St,...