Results 3,541-3,560 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 37 together. There are no plans to reinstate the State Pension Transition. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) which was available to people aged 65 who satisfied the qualifying conditions....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The official measure of unemployment is sourced from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). The most recent data show that unemployment has fallen from a peak of 15% in 2012 to 6.2% by mid-2017. Numbers at work have increased from just over 1.83 million in Quarter 2, 2012 to 2.06 million in Quarter 2, 2017 – an increase of 227,000 persons. Within the South East region,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 38, 217 and 229 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) is a once-off payment made to persons who may not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on issues relating to a particular pension scheme. However, generally speaking, trustees of pension schemes have duties and responsibilities under trust law, under other relevant legislation and under the Pensions Act. They must administer the trust in accordance with the law and the terms of the trust deed and rules. The provisions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Operations (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department published a tender for the supply of technical support and advice in respect of the SAFE Programme on the 5thof January 2018. My Department requires independent expertise; advice and support in the area of electronic card and chip technology to support work being undertaken under the SAFE / Public Services Card (PSC) Project on behalf of all public bodies. This expertise and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Data (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The best way to tackle poverty among lone parents is through employment and the recently published Indecon report echoed this view. The report found that the changes to the one-parent family payment scheme made over the last number of years increased employment and reduced welfare dependency. It also found that the changes increased the probability of employment and higher employment income...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tables. Invalidity Pension and Disability Allowance claims registered, awarded and rejected on appeal in each year 2015 to 2017. Claims may be decided in a different year from the year of registration. Invalidity Pension - Registered Awarded Rejected 2015 9,454 7,691 5,070 2016 9,134 7,467 3,909 2017 10,458 8,976 4,579 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Anti-Poverty Strategy (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The national social target for poverty reduction agreed by Government in 2012 is to reduce consistent poverty from 6.3% in 2010 to 4% by 2016 and to 2% or less by 2020. This was an ambitious target, particularly during a time of economic recession, but one to which the Government has remained committed.Data from the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) indicate that consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 46 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 crash...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined from 2015 to 2017 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the tables. My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff.The staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Question Nos44 and 226 together. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting 34,400 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018.Continued entitlement to rent supplement is not linked to entitlement to other social welfare schemes, however the rent supplement claim may be reviewed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department’s main social welfare schemes for unemployed persons are the jobseeker’s allowance and the jobseekers benefit schemes. Both schemes provide significant support to individuals so that they can work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced jobseeker’s payment. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) schemes are typically sponsored by voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit their community. My Department’s priority in supporting CE is to ensure access to good quality work experience and training qualifications on schemes for jobseekers and other vulnerable groups in order to support their progression into...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The establishment of a child maintenance service such as one that currently exists in Northern Ireland would be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality.In cases where the family unit has broken down obligations regarding child maintenance continue to apply and relevant maintenance payments can be arranged either directly between the couple themselves or through...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined from 2015 to 2017 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the tables. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department received an application for Carer's Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 21 May 2017. One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of CA is that the means of the person concerned must be less than the statutory limit. Following an investigation it was determined that the means of the person concerned were not less than the statutory limit and that she was therefore not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (17 Jan 2018)

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: Community Employment Schemes Operation (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is aware that there had been an increase in insurance premiums for Community Employment (CE) schemes over recent years. The main reason cited for this is an increase in claims frequency by such schemes. In the first instance, my Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. Also, if CE schemes are not filling their contracted...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There is no record of an application for a DEASP payment having been received by the Department from the person concerned. Once a completed application is received by the Department a Deciding Officer (DO) will then be in a positron to decide the claim including any entitlement to Fuel Allowance. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (17 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information requested is currently being compiled by my Department and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.