Results 5,661-5,680 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Sign Language (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Sign Language Interpreting Service, SLIS, is the national service for the development, promotion and delivery of sign language interpreting services to the deaf community in Ireland. As the Deputy is aware, it is funded by the Citizens Information Board, which comes under my remit. The Government and my Department in particular is committed to supporting the service which, it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Sign Language (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It was remiss of me, and I apologise, but I should have given credit to Senator Mark Daly. It is because of his tremendous work that we were able to support the initiatives he put forward. I was very happy to be able to extend the extra €300,000 to services. I also commend him on the work he has done in having our national anthem signed for the first time at both national and local...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I reassure the House that the 67,000 pensioners who received a smaller pension due the change in the rate bands will have the issue rectified in the coming months. We had a lengthy discussion about it on Question Time this morning. It will happen between now and March of next year. There are a considerable number of people, just under 90,000, who are in receipt of a non-contributory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) is a once-off payment made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Carers' Strategy Funding (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is clear through the commitments contained in both the Programme for Government and in the National Carers’ Strategy, that this Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. The main income supports provided by my Department include carers allowance, carers benefit,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: From the introduction of the invalidity pension (IP) in 1970 up to 1 December 2017, self-employed PRSI (Class S) contributions could not be used to satisfy the social insurance qualifying contributions for Invalidity Pension. The extension of Invalidity Pension (IP) to self-employed contributors from the 1st December 2017 has, for the first time, given the self-employed access to a social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Consultation Process (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The consultation process on the proposed reforms actually dates back to October 2007 when the Government published the Green Paper on Pensions to stimulate debate on the challenges and options for the future development of pensions. The consultation process was lengthy, thorough and inclusive and included regional seminars, a national conference, and consultation meetings with sectorial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Pensions reform is a Government priority and the plans to achieve this are set out in the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023, which was published last February. Among the key commitments contained in this plan is to develop, by 2022, a new ‘Automatic Enrolment’ (AE) supplementary retirement savings system for employees without pensions coverage. AE will see a transition...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Payments (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The Government has provided €49.5 million for the scheme in 2018. The payment rates are €125 for eligible children aged 4 to 11 years and €250 for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget Measures (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: As Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection my priorities include children living in consistent poverty, and lone parent families. I welcomed the Joint Oireachtas Committee’s report of 2017 on the Position of Lone Parents in Ireland, as it helps to inform the policy in this area. Social transfers are very effective in reducing poverty, and Eurostat data shows that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Administration (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: 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 form is a necessary part of the normal review process for these customers. The means test for farm assist takes account of all income sources with certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment legislation, in respect of which the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is mandated to secure compliance. Ireland’s employment rights legislation protects all employees, including migrant workers, who are legally employed on an a contract of service basis. Where an individual believes they are being deprived of employment rights...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed, under the Pathways to Work Strategy to incentivise the take-up of activation opportunities. Penalty rates were introduced as a means of encouraging jobseekers to engage with activation measures and co-operate with efforts of the Department to assist them in securing employment. Penalty rate sanctions can only be invoked in relation to failure to comply with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 87 together. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Court Judgments (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The recent Judgement of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (“UKSC”) regarding the Widowed parent’s allowance (WPA) has been examined by my Department, and it appears that it does not have any relevance to the Widows/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension (WCP) paid by my Department. In the first instance, it should be noted that decisions of UK...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Pensions reform is a Government priority and the plans to achieve this are set out in the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023, which was published last February. Among the key commitments contained in this plan is to develop, by 2022, a new ‘Automatic Enrolment’ (AE) supplementary retirement savings system for employees without pensions coverage. AE will see a transition...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension Eligibility (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Widow’s, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner’s pension is paid to the husband or wife of a deceased person and is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or on that of the deceased spouse, provided the applicant is not cohabiting. The legal context governing relationships such as marriage is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Through the commitments contained in both the Programme for Government and in the National Carers’ Strategy, the Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. The main income supports provided by my Department include carer's benefit, domiciliary care allowance, carer's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: During the economic downturn, my Department protected primary social welfare rates and in recent years, as the economy recovered, the Government has concentrated resources in improving the core rates of payments, particularly for pensioners. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (26 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department commissioned Indecon to conduct a review of the Local Employment and Job Club services. This review is the first significant independent review that has been commissioned since the Local Employment Services (LES) and Job Clubs were established. The review will help inform future decisions regarding how the Department contracts, monitors and procures for these services. The...