Results 7,321-7,340 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 107 together. Since the end of September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of pensioners born on or after 1 September 1946 who were awarded state pension (contributory) on reduced post Budget 2012 rate bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 99 together. Since late September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of around 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement.   In Quarter 4 2018, Information letters issued to those included in the review to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. Paternity Benefit may be taken by fathers at any time in the six months following the birth or adoption of their child.  Following the scheme's introduction in September 2016, many fathers who could have claimed the benefit in the last four months of 2016 claimed it instead in 2017. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Data (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Qualification for treatment benefit (TB), which includes dental, optical and medical appliances (hearing aids), is based on the person having paid the required number of PRSI contributions since starting employment and also having the required number of contributions or credits in the relevant tax year.  The number of contributions required to qualify varies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of Carer's Allowance is detailed in the following tabular statement. 2018 Rejected Applications Appeals Received  Appeals Finalised Allowed By Appeals Officers Partially Allowed by Appeals Officers Revised Decisions By Deciding Officers Appeals Disallowed by Appeals Officers  Withdrawn Jan 760 291 260 93 15 35 114 3 Feb 708...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Since late September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of pensioners born on or after 01 September 1946 who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement.  Where possible, my Department will use the information already held to assist in the reviews. In some cases, additional information is required from pensioners about unexplained gaps...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) initiated an investigation to assess the legal basis for the processing of data in connection with the Public Services Card (PSC) and other related matters.  The DPC provided a draft report on the PSC to my Department in late August 2018.  The draft report requested further information and clarifications on a broad range of areas. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: As announced in January 2018 pensioners born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, will have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim 'Total Contributions Approach' (TCA).  The announced changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the pension entitlement calculation, for those who took...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Data (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Qualification for treatment benefit (TB), which includes dental, optical and medical appliances (hearing aids), is based on the person having paid the required number of PRSI contributions since starting employment and also having the required number of contributions or credits in the relevant tax year. The number of contributions required to qualify varies with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers.  This includes ensuring that applications are processed as quickly as possible. Where any scheme area experiences delays, all possible steps are taken to improve processing times.  This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Telephone Support Allowance (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) is a weekly payment of €2.50.  Approximately 129,000 customers are in receipt of the TSA payment.  The estimated full year cost of the scheme is over €16 million.  The primary objective of the TSA is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Widows/Widowers/ Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension (WCP)  is paid to the husband, wife or civil partner of a deceased person, and is a weekly pension, available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or on that of the deceased spouse, subject to certain criteria.  The legal context governing relationships such...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: CE supervisors and assistant supervisors made a claim, through their union representatives, for the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. Although this issue relates to CE supervisors and assistant supervisors, such individuals comprise just one small group within the wider community and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Applications (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 03 October 2018. Their application was referred to a local Social Welfare Officer (SWI) for further clarification. The relevant SWI has confirmed that the report will be completed shortly. On...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 601, 614 and 648 together. The Government and the EU remain committed to securing a negotiated Brexit outcome. We have been planning for all Brexit scenarios but in light of uncertainties in London and the Brexit deadline of 29 March, the Government decided at its meeting of 11 December that immediate priority must now be given to preparations for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 603 and 604 together. The Department had an arrangement with pension companies where a person's pension had matured and the company had been unable to contact the person. The pension company provided a letter with the person's details and where the Department held a more recent address, the letter was forwarded on to the person at that address. This enabled...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Community employment (CE) is the largest employment programme administered by my Department. It aims to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition, it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 835 full-rate paid and credited contributions from 1962 to 2011 inclusive. This results in an assessed yearly average of 17 contributions, which qualifies the person for a state pension (contributory) rate of 75%, based on their Irish record. As the person was born before 1 September 1946, their entitlement was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Retained fire-fighters who are otherwise unemployed are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training, subject to the usual qualification conditions in relation to means or social insurance contributions. They are also required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred on 8th January 2019 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and...