Results 4,881-4,900 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The costs of these measures are presented in the table below. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019. -Measure Maternity Benefit Cost Adoptive Benefit Cost Paternity Benefit Cost Total Cost €10 rate increase €10.7m €0.01m €0.62m...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Maternity benefit and paternity benefit are paid by my Department and are based on payment of PRSI contributions while working. The current entitlement to paid maternity leave is 26 weeks and the current entitlement to paid paternity leave is 2 weeks. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €264 million on maternity benefit and €16 million...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. I can confirm that arrears of CA due from 30 November 2017 to 28 March 2018, will issue to the nominated post office of the person concerned on...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am happy to have this opportunity to address the Seanad on the issue of sub-minima rates of pay under the National Minimum Wage Act. The existing rates provide for reduced rates to be paid in certain circumstances to particular groups, for example, younger workers and trainee workers. It might be useful to outline the role of the Low Pay Commission in this area. I emphasise that it is an...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Patricia King, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, does not support the Bill.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Gerry Light, the assistant general secretary of Mandate, also opposes this. We are in very good company.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department will carry out a review of the record of any person who makes contact, advising of the possibility that contributions may be missing from their social insurance record. Such a review can take a number of forms, depending on the nature of the issues raised; and can include (but is not limited to) the following; - Examination of any documentation provided by the customer - A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payment (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is administered by Local Authorities and overall policy responsibility for HAP rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. Matters relating to the processing times for HAP applications and the payment of arrears are primarily a matter for that Department. Notwithstanding this, I understand that arrears may...

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

Regina Doherty: My Department’s main social welfare schemes for people who are unemployed 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...

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

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 21 February 2017. It is a condition for receipt of a 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 person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions No. 215 and 216 together. Part 10 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 (as amended) sets down the roles, powers and functions of deciding officers and appeals officers. Deciding officers are appointed by the Minister under section 299 of the Act. Section 301 of the Act provides for the questions which shall be decided by a deciding officer. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The School Meals Programme provides funding to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a cost of €54 million in 2018. The objective of the Scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. As the Deputy will be aware the Department commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 231 together. The Department of Justice and Equality has policy and legislative responsibility for maternity, paternity leave and parental leave. My Department has responsibility for any associated social welfare payments. Maternity benefit and paternity benefit are paid by my Department and are based on payment of PRSI contributions while...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Data (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are currently over 56,000 families with almost 127,000 children in receipt of WFP. The estimated spend on WFP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment, equality and industrial relations legislation with which the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is mandated to secure compliance. Ireland’s employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis. There is no exemption under employment rights legislation, including minimum wage...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to 628,688 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Eligibility (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: An application for Working Family Payment (formerly Family Income Supplement) was received from the person concerned on 27thApril 2018. To determine entitlement to Working Family Payment (WFP), an applicant must provide any information, documents, certificates or evidence so that an application may be processed. A Deciding Officer (DO) recently assessed the application but could not determine...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: In its ‘Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023’, the Government detailed specific measures under six strands that, taken together, will modernise our pension system while continuing to target resources at those most in need. These six strands are: Strand 1 - Reform of the State Pension including the Total Contributions Approach; Strand 2 - A New Automatic Enrolment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (31 May 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 29 May 2018, 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: As outlined in replies to Questions 36815-16, 17382-18 and 19501-18 the person concerned is in receipt of a jobseekers allowance at a reduced rate. The reduced rate arises from an assessment of means arising from rental income. The decision was upheld by a Social Welfare Appeals Officer and the person concerned was advised by the Social Welfare Appeals office of the decision on 12/10/17. A...