Results 3,901-3,920 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (20 Feb 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). The decision to restructure the governance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on issues relating to particular pension schemes. However, generally speaking, trustees of pension schemes have duties and responsibilities under the Pensions Act, under trust law, and under other relevant legislation. 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: Public Services Card (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 74 together. It is not mandatory for any resident in Ireland to have a Public Services Card. However it has always been necessary for people using high value or personalised public services to prove their identity. In order to ensure services are provided to the right person and to support efficient service delivery, a growing number of public service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed to obtain and sustain paid employment. The service was launched in 2015 on a ‘rolling basis’ with referral numbers gradually increasing over time. There are two phases to the service. During the first phase, of 12 months duration, a personal advisor (PA) provides practical...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Tús is one of a range of supports provided by my Department to cater for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. It provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping-stone back to employment. However, it is important to note that these placements are not full-time sustainable jobs and are designed to break the cycle of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Dormant Accounts Fund (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The DAF is managed through a series of annual action plans. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) is the lead Department for one of the 2016 Dormant Accounts Action Plan measures which provided €0.5m for training and supports for family carers at the end of their full-time caring role. The 2016 DAF Action Plan for carers has now been fully implemented....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance fund (SIF) as at 31 December, 2015, which I published in October 2017, was carried out by independent consultants, KPMG. This is a review required by legislation. It examines the projected income and expenditure of the SIF over the course of the 55 year period from 2016 to 2071. The review found that the fund currently has a modest surplus of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 75 and 86 together. A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by the then Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from 2020. On the 23rd January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware Seetec and Turas Nua are two companies contracted to provide the JobPath service on behalf of my Department. Participants with the JobPath service are not required to sign a contract with the JobPath companies but they are, in the same manner as all customers referred to any of the other Department’s activation services, requested to agree and sign a personal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware Seetec and Turas Nua are two companies contracted to provide the JobPath service on behalf of my Department. Participants with the JobPath service are not required to sign a contract with the JobPath companies but they are, in the same manner as all jobseekers referred to any of the other Department’s activation services, requested to agree and sign a personal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund Review (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Ireland has a unified system of social security whereby all contributions paid by workers (and their employers, where applicable) are paid into a single fund, the Social Insurance Fund (SIF),which is applied to pay benefits to which those workers have established entitlement. The Irish social welfares system recognises different categories or “Classes” of workers. The rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 77 together. The Make Work Pay (MWP) report was published on 6th April 2017, following the deliberations of an interdepartmental group established under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities. The interdepartmental group considered a range of approaches across relevant Departments to deliver on this commitment and made...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Data (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Fuel allowance is a seasonal means tested payment of €22.50 per week payable from October to April. In 2018, the payment is expected to provide financial assistance to over 338,000 low income households towards their winter energy costs, at an estimated cost of €227.15 million. Only one allowance is paid per household. In October 2017, I was pleased to introduce the option...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Support Services (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Recent research by the ESRI and the OECD has drawn attention to the prevalence of mental health conditions in the working-age population. Through the operation of the income support system managed by my Department and the health service managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Government recognises the need for flexible and effective support for persons who encounter mental health...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Sharing Arrangements (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: SAFE2 identity verification processes, the Public Services Card (PSC) and the Public Service Identity (PSI) dataset are all underpinned by primary legislation. Section 263 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 (as amended) provides that: (a) the following information is inscribed on the Public Services Card (PSC): forename, surname, Personal Public Service (PPS) Number,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Data (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 84 together. The number of persons in receipt of farm assist at year end was 7,234 in 2017, 7,828 in 2016 and 8,790 in 2015. Farm assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. To qualify for the payment, a customer must be a farmer, farming land in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test. The annual farm assist review...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: During the Second Stage debate on the Bill, many Deputies expressed the view in relation to the banded hours provision, that the bands are too wide and the 18 month reference period is too long. I indicated that I would consider these matters in the context of possible Committee Stage amendments.However, I would like to make a number of points. There will be an administrative burden on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020. In advance of this, on the 23rd January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment and Youth Activation Charter (20 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Irish youth unemployment has fallen from a peak of 31.2% in 2012 to 13.7% in January 2018. Irish youth unemployment has thus fallen from well above the EU average in 2012 (23%) to well below the current figure EU figure of 19.1%. The long-term unemployment rate for young people has fallen from over 15% at peak to below 4% in the third quarter of 2017. Youth unemployment figures can be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (20 Feb 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 statutory Board of the...