Results 6,161-6,180 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Maintenance Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I take some solace in knowing the Deputy thinks that I have more influence in the Department of Justice and Equality than he does.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Maintenance Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I know what he would like to see; I am somewhere in between. We will have that meeting with the Department of Justice and Equality later this month. I will come back to the Deputy and we will have a conversation on how best to progress it. I am aware of the UN recommendation. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has generous disregards with regard to maintenance....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 89 and 120 together. Pensioners born on or after 1 September 1946 and affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands can have their State pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim total-contributions approach. The announced changes also provide for up to 20 years of home-caring credits in the pension-entitlement calculation, for those...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information letters will issue to approximately 79,000 contributory pensioners. We have identified them because they are receiving less than 100% of a pension since the changes were made in 2012. The first 11,000 information letters issued last week and the remainder will issue this week or next week at the latest. People do not need to do anything for us because in the main we can...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: People who left the country to go to work in another country can avail of the credits. If there is a reciprocal arrangement between the country the person went to work in and Ireland, he or she can arrange for his or her credits to be included on his or her record. The gaps can only be filled in this system by caring credits. People who went to work, say, in London will not be able to come...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Deputy for raising this, particularly on the day when we may have a deal. It is important to note that the social security arrangements between the UK and the EU 27 have not changed. The future operation of arrangements will be determined as part of the complex process of negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU. My key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the current...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I have a dedicated team in the Department. They have been working for almost a year on each individual scheme that has reciprocal rights between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to ascertain what exactly we need to do to maintain those reciprocal arrangements. I read the report with interest and was curious as to why it came out this morning but that is the nature...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Once the outcome of the analysis is complete and the negotiations are complete, I will be happy to share the analysis with the House but the outcome will probably be evident at that stage because the ambition of both Esther McVey and I is continuity of the existing arrangements. The only reason the Deputy would be surprised is if something goes askew on that and we do not have it but then we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 108 together. I do not think we have ever reached this number of questions. In line with EU and OECD jurisdictions, reduced rates for young jobseekers were introduced from 2009 on a phased basis to tackle high youth unemployment. These measures guard against the development of long-term welfare dependency by providing young jobseekers with a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Dare I say that the Deputy is questioning his own decision from 2009, for which the rationale remains exactly the same today. We do not want our young people aged between 18 and 24 to be sitting at home watching "Judge Judy". Rather, we want them in education, training or employment opportunities, which is exactly what this measure has achieved. Anybody who is at home on a reduced rate,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020. In advance of this, on 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: 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 is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 83 and 91 together. My Department has experienced significant difficulties in processing illness benefit payments in recent times and regrettably these difficulties impacted people in a manner that has correctly been described as unacceptable. This is a matter of great concern to my Department and I am extremely disappointed and deeply embarrassed by our...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Christmas Bonus is paid to long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long term unemployed people, who rely either wholly or mainly on their social welfare payments for financial support. The payment will benefit more than 1.2 million social welfare recipients this year. The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: To qualify for a widow(er)’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension, the surviving spouse must be deemed, under Irish State Law, to be the legal widow(er) of the deceased. The legislative provisions pertaining to the recognition of foreign divorces outside the State are set out in Section 5 of the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act 1986....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: 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. Both Disability Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance claim processing times are within their respective targets. In October 2018 the average time taken to process new Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 104, 109 and 112 together. The media campaign on false self-employment carried out by the Department in May 2018 was aimed at ensuring that there is better public awareness of the important service the Department provides in determining employment status and to help develop a better understanding of the scale and nature of false self-employment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: There has been no decision on the number of years required to qualify for a maximum rate pension under the Total Contributions Approach that will apply from 2020, and so the question of publicising such a decision does not, at this point, arise. This issue was, in fact, one of the matters the consultation sought opinions on, and those opinions will inform the final design of that scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Proofing of Policies (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Programme for a Partnership Government included a commitment to develop a process of budget and policy proofing as a means of advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights. The recent ESRI report “The Gender Impact of Irish Budgetary Policy” is a valuable contribution which will further inform this process. In terms of the findings, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 105, 111, 125 and 128 together. My Department transferred administration of the Illness Benefit scheme to its core Business Objects IT platform in August 2018. Although the system change has worked effectively for over 80% of IB customers, significant difficulties arose following implementation for a number of customers. My Department is taking...