Results 3,681-3,700 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Assist Scheme (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 603, 607 and 608 together. JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was closed to new applications on Friday 21 October 2016 and the last participant finished on Friday 18August 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Customer Charters (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is committed to delivering high quality customer service. Our Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan 2016-2018sets out the commitments and standard of service that customers can expect in their dealings with the Department. Among them, customers should be served in a fair, courteous and timely manner, be informed of their rights...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is aware that maternity benefit and one parent family payment are not fully payable together and consequently she has an overpayment due for recovery by the Department. She was informed that 15% of her weekly payment (the Departmental standard rate that can apply to the repayment of debt without a person’s consent) would be deducted for this purpose. She was also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Private Partnerships Data (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is currently not engaged in any Public Private Partnership arrangement and has no plans to engage in any such arrangements at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There were 46,677 people affected by the rate band changes in September 2012. It is estimated that two-thirds of these will see their rate of payment increased by the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) introduced on 23 January. The precise number cannot be known at this time as there may be inflows from other schemes, such as the State Pension (non-contributory). Equally, it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The numbers of persons in each county who had a Penalty Rate applied to them in the years 2012 to 2017 are set out in the following table. Figures to date in 2018 are not yet available. The figures are based on the location of Intreo Centres within each county. An Intreo Centre may cover part or all of a county. Its catchment area may also include parts of more than one county. Number...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Data (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Please see the following table for the number of recipients of Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income supplement) in Longford and Westmeath in 2016 and 2017, by month. # Longford Westmeath Recipients 2016 2017 2016 2017 January 706 788 1,212 1,250 February 731 772 1,211 1,251 March 736 764 1,218 1,242 April 745 757 1,224 1,229 May 754 771 1,210 1,243 June 746...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 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. The Government has provided €36.4 million for the ENP scheme in 2018. Over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20 December 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. My Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding through the humanitarian assistance scheme. The purpose of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Retirements (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There are no persons at Assistant Principal level in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that are due to retire in the next six months due to age in counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Applications (31 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The social insurance record of the person concerned has been updated following the payment of their self-employment liabilities for 2016. A revised decision has been made awarding a maximum rate of state pension (contributory), with effect from 11 September 2017, the person’s 66th birthday. The person concerned has been notified of this decision in writing on 30 January 2018 and due...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Funding (31 Jan 2018)

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 2017, the Board of CIB decided to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers Data (31 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Two Special Advisers, Ms Denise Duffy and Mr Gerry Mullins, are employed by my Department, both of whom work across a wide range of areas within the remit of my Department including Employment Law, Employment Supports and Activation, Pensions Policy and Social Protection. Immediately prior to her appointment, Ms Duffy was employed as Special Adviser to the Government Chief Whip in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (31 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy may be aware the objective of pension scheme investment policy is to ensure adequate assets will be available to meet the liabilities of the scheme. In order to do this efficiently, the trustees will want to achieve as high a rate of return as possible, but only if risks are kept to an acceptable level. On the other hand, the lower the target rate of return, the higher the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (31 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate state pension (contributory) at 90% of the maximum rate with effect from their 66th birthday, based on an assessed yearly average of 39 contributions, covering their working life from 1974 to 2016 inclusive. According to the records of my Department, the person has a social insurance record of 1,688 reckonable contributions and credits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department currently has 58 Social Welfare Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors. The...