Results 5,601-5,620 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The way in which the discount is applied depends on the results of the quarterly labour force survey from the final quarter of each calendar year. The discount rate applies to the number of people going forward on the live register as opposed to going backwards so they are paid in the subsequent calendar year. The 8% discount was applied to all fees. That was for April to December last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Of course, that is no problem at all. It involves the timelines around the T12 project. I might have mentioned them already but I will provide them in written form. The audit has not been conducted with regard to that because there is no need. I am making the assumption that nobody will choose to be on a lesser payment than their current payment. People will only opt to move to a more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I acknowledge that 18 weeks is too long. I also acknowledge that when people do appeal, they may have to wait another 12, 14 or 16 weeks but it is because of the complexity of the application in the first instance. This is why we not only move staff around to try to reduce those working weeks turnaround, we are going to improve the application process to make it easier for people to give...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: That is no problem at all. Last but not least, I thank the Deputy for acknowledging and recognising that we are unravelling the cuts that were made. I am well aware that if I was to unravel them, I would need to bring it back up to €146, which is what it was. As already stated, it would probably be premature to say anything given that I am in negotiations for the budget but I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It would cost serious money - tens of millions. It is not small beans. It would cost tens of millions to ensure that everybody who stays in school until their leaving certificate regardless of their age got a children's allowance payment. It would increase that expenditure by tens of millions. Deputy Bríd Smith rightly pointed that out that if my children were 18 and still in school,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The first response I would make to the Chairman is that a couple of years ago we started a programme to try to extend equal benefits to those who are self-employed as to those who are employed. That was started, as the Chairman will be aware, with the invalidity pension and the extension of the treatment benefits last year. It is not something that will be equalised in one, two or even...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I wrote that down and I am sorry I did not respond to it. On the working family payment, carer's allowance and maintenance, all that is taken as income is income. If somebody is on a carer's allowance, it is income into the family. It is not - not to be disrespectful - special income.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: There needs to be consistency.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Deputy Brady is correct. There should not be an inconsistency between Bray and Ratoath. I will come back to Deputy Brady on that one. On the automatic payment, I do not know how we would have an automatic payment because we have a system that pays a person, either on a weekly basis or in two lump sums. It is an IT system. The IT system only gets changed quarterly which is why - I do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Of persistent cold weather, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I will look into it. I do not know how it was done because I know how difficult it was for us to do it. After the snow it took a number of weeks for us to ensure that the payments got to people because our IT system is unique, perhaps, or special. Again, I do not think it needs to be automated either because if there is snow and adverse conditions, we will ensure we look after people. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: There are far smarter people than me in the Department's IT section. We will have a chat with them and see what we come up with.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 56 together, if that is okay with Deputy Brady.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department recently introduced redesigned claim and medical certificate forms for use in the illness and injury benefit schemes. The purpose of the redesign was to facilitate a new process within the Department whereby forms would be scanned rather than manually keyed into the new IT system. Claims received on the new forms and certificates are being processed into the payment system on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I do not know whether Deputy O'Dea is aware of the long-standing relationship - it has existed for many years - between my Department and GPs. We rely on them not only for illness benefit, but also for carer's benefit and a variety of other schemes. They are an invaluable resource to both the people they serve and to the Department. We have never, ever told anyone to get on with anything,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: That information is incorrect.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Yes, but I assure the Deputy that it is incorrect-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy makes the facts up as he goes along.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Public policy on discussions or consultations with professional organisations such as those representing GPs has, since about the mid-1970s, been to engage with one representative body rather than try to negotiate or communicate with multiple bodies claiming to hold the mandate for that particular group of people. The Deputy cannot say on the one hand that one organisation represents 80% of...