Results 5,021-5,040 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Other Questions: Anti-Poverty Strategy (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: My apologies. I missed the very last line of that whole spiel. The strategy will be published in the autumn. The key element of the national action plan for social inclusion involves the national social targets for poverty reduction, which the Deputy mentioned, which set out the Government's ambition to reduce and, it is hoped, at some point in the very near future, to eliminate poverty....

Other Questions: Anti-Poverty Strategy (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: Much of the money we use or that we spent towards the last plan was ring-fenced for certain schemes. I do not see any difference with regard to achieving the objectives in this plan. As I said, it is a whole-of-Government approach. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is not going to wipe out poverty on its own. As much as social transfers have an enormous impact on...

Other Questions: Zero-hour Contracts (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 completed Committee Stage in the Dáil on 17 May and is back for Report Stage next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bill includes a provision to prohibit zero-hour contracts except in cases of genuine casual work, emergency cover or short-term relief work for the employer. It is worth recalling that the University of Limerick study,...

Other Questions: Zero-hour Contracts (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: All of the issues the Deputy has just outlined will not be legal when we pass the new Bill because of all of the other sections of the Bill, not because of permitting casualised work in certain exceptional circumstances. It is because of the banded hours and the look-back period that will be introduced, as well a whole range of measures within the Bill that will prohibit what the Deputy has...

Other Questions: Zero-hour Contracts (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Deputy. The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 does not make rules for any one company that the Deputy is here to make representations about today. It is to make sure we have a fair and balanced approach for workers and their employers in every single company in the country. The benefit that casual employees will see when we pass the Bill is that, if they are on an...

Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: Community employment scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector who receive public funding and are not employees of my Department or public servants. While the motion calls for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to meet with unions with a view to addressing the issue of CE supervisors’ pensions provision, the issue is...

Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: If the Deputy has an issue with the numbers, which clearly he does, I suggest he takes that up with the IGEES-----

Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: -----which is the independent authority which came up with the scoping issue.

Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: I cannot answer the Deputy's question as to how often the committee has met, because I do not know. However, I will find out for the Deputy. As for meeting CE supervisors, I do so when I visit CE schemes nationally and, on a more official level, my Department meets and communicates with them on a weekly basis. The best thing for me to do is write to the chairman of the committee to find...

Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week, paid for the duration of the fuel season from October to April. Over 364,000 low income households will benefit from this allowance at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of the payment is to assist these households with their energy costs and it was never intended to meet those costs in full. My...

Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: I agree with the Deputy that the vast majority of households experiencing fuel poverty do so because they are unable to keep their houses warm. As such, income supports are only part of the answer. In many cases, in fact, they are not even a big part of the answer. The best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term is to improve the energy efficiency of houses through proper building and...

Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: That is why I am waiting on it.

Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance this year will amount to €227 million while €237 million has been provided for electricity and gas payments. Further millions have been provided under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme and the exceptional needs payment scheme. The problem here is that heat is going straight up the chimney. The real way to future-proof people living in consistent...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Bird Breakfast Clubs (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue. I also acknowledge that Deputy Noel Rock has been in discussions with me on this issue for more than a month. To give the Deputy some background, my Department is providing funding for school meals in more than 1,580 schools and other organisations. The programme, which supports more than 248,000 children, will cost approximately...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Bird Breakfast Clubs (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is obvious how emotionally engaged Deputy Dessie Ellis is on this matter. I do not mean to be patronising, but it is really lovely to see. I am not refusing anybody's help. The first thing my Department does is give money for food, which we gladly give. We already know and appreciate the impact it has and that will not change. The second thing we do is provide money through community...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities (2015-2024) was developed in consultation with Government Departments, State Agencies, the National Disability Authority, the Disability Stakeholder Group and the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group, and adopted by Government in October 2015. The ten year strategy is a cross-Government approach...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department has not recently had specific discussions with representatives of organisations representing persons with sight difficulties on the differences in conditionality attached to blind person’s pension (BPP) and disability allowance (DA). My Department consults regularly on disability related matters with people with disabilities through a number of fora including the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: As a general policy, the Government intends to introduce a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims from 2020 onwards. This is currently the subject of a public consultation which stays open until the 3rdof September. Separately, I announced on 23rdJanuary an interim TCA for those affected by the 2012 rate-band...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 30,000 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018. The primary responsibility for provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with local authorities. DEASP’s role with regard to people who are homeless is mainly income...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (19 Jun 2018)

Regina Doherty: Work schemes such as Tús and Community Employment (CE) are positive initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment. The rural social scheme (RSS) provides farmers and fishermen with income support while they also make a contribution to their community. As the Deputy is aware...