Results 5,641-5,660 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Data (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy can correct me if I am wrong but I would have thought that the southern region Action Plan for Jobs and the task force around that could be the body or mechanism to feed into. If not then maybe we will have to look at it and I will come back to the Deputy on it. I can only take responsibility for my Department. There are tremendous amounts of supports available in Wexford and in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers. I think the scheme was introduced by Deputy Brendan Smith's party-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It replaced the former smallholders’ unemployment assistance payment. In line with the then existing arrangements for unemployment assistance, including the smallholders and pre-retirement allowances, the income of farm assist recipients was exempt from class S pay related social insurance, PRSI, for self-employed workers. Recipients of farm assist who had previously paid class S...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I cannot speak to how - or even whether - the Department or the Revenue Commissioners imparted the information that would have been valuable to the people to whom the Deputy refers. I can only look into the matter on the Deputy's behalf. I can relate to the fact that their contribution record having been broken has resulted in them getting a lesser pension payment now. The options that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I must ask a favour of the Deputy. I would like to arrange a meeting with him at which he can give me examples of the cases in his constituency so that I can follow through to see how many people have been impacted, while also determining if the Department or Revenue informed people of the options available to them. What the Deputy has just brought to my attention seems unjust. I will ask...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is not just farmers who do not read documents in full. That is a charge that can probably be made against every single one of us. The situation he Deputy describes does not sound fair to me, so let us meet and talk about it further.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63, 73, 80, 90 and 91 and 93 together. I thank Deputy Heydon and all of the other Deputies who submitted questions on this matter. On 23 January last the Government agreed to my proposal that would allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated on a total contributions basis, including a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I will be brief. I am very pleased to reiterate that there is no delay on this issue, nor any change of mind or tactic. We are in the position envisaged at the time of my announcement in this Chamber several months ago. The Cabinet decided to address the anomaly and legislation in that regard is well advanced. The only thing that must be decided is whether it will be addressed in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I wish to temper expectations somewhat. The 67,000 letters will not issue on one day because we have not taken on 15,000 temporary staff to facilitate such a feat. Rather, they will issue over several weeks. I ask Deputies for their assistance in terms of assuring their constituents who have received a letter when others have not that the letters will be issued to all. Assessing and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I do not know how many we have taken on.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I genuinely do not know. I think it is enough.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I was being facetious.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Chairman.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The conceit of the far left never ceases to amaze me. It considers it has a monopoly on compassion.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 72 and 75 together. CE scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. They are not employees of my Department or public servants. There are currently 1,346 supervisors or assistant supervisors employed with CE sponsor organisations. My Department funds wages and training...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The community sector high-level forum includes representatives of not only various Departments and statutory agencies but also union representatives. To be fair, the forum is chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform but it includes the various Departments that have responsibilities towards the community and voluntary sector and not just the valuable organisations that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Deputies seem to have forgotten that the high-level forum consists not only of people from a variety of Departments with responsibility to the voluntary and community sectors, but also representatives of Pobal, Fórsa and SIPTU, which are the people's representatives in those sectors. In terms of suggestions as to how we could magically find the €0.5 billion that is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: If there was an easy solution to this, the high-level forum, including representatives of both unions, would already have found it. The meetings of the high-level forum will continue. The unions have met the Minister over the summer months and will actively continue to pursue ideas in an effort to resolve this issue. It is not going to be fixed until we all find a solution and we will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: All decisions taken by the Department’s deciding officers and designated persons are appealable to the chief appeals officer. Approximately 85% of all claims are awarded and only 1% of all claims are appealed annually. It is a very small number. Nevertheless my Department is genuinely concerned that these cases be dealt with as quickly as possible. Significant efforts and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I will take that on board and will come back to the Deputy on it.