Results 7,341-7,360 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: This person concerned was awarded Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) from 6thAugust 2018. Following the six-month BTWEA review the case officer disallowed the claim stating that there is little evidence provided of activity and no evidence of incoming work. The case officer also noted that there is no business bank account, no evidence of invoicing or receipts in respect of income...

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

Regina Doherty: The Government intends to introduce a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing the level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims from 2020 onwards (TCA2020). I launched a public consultation on the design of the full TCA to be introduced from 2020 on the 28th of May to which a wide variety of stakeholder groups were invited. A number of workshops were also...

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

Regina Doherty: Illness benefit is a short-term payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness. The payment is funded by the social insurance fund (SIF) through the payment of PRSI contributions by workers and employers and, in the event of a shortfall between contributions received and benefits paid, the Exchequer. The fund is central to Ireland’s system of social protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The rationale in relation to the Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) having a minimum of 21 subsidised hours is to increase the likelihood of people with disabilities obtaining and sustaining employment in the open labour market. It does this by providing financial incentives to private sector employers. To receive a wage subsidy, the private sector employer must offer employment to a person with a...

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 approximately 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post-Budget 2012 rate bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation which includes...

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 approximately 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post-Budget 2012 rate bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation, which includes...

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 approximately 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post-Budget 2012 rate bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation, which includes...

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 approximately 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post-Budget 2012 rate bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation, which includes...

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

Regina Doherty: Since late September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of approximately 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post Budget 2012 rate-bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation which includes...

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

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned overlapped with payment under another social welfare scheme. As  a result, the monetary difference between this payment and his  Illness Benefit payment had to be calculated. The Illness Benefit claim has now been processed and any arrears due have been issued. The person concerned has been paid...

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

Regina Doherty: The concept of a universal basic income is of long-standing and argues for an unconditional transfer paid to everyone by the state, in place of large parts of the existing social protection system. Advocates of the approach argue that it would remove the need for complex means-testing for benefit receipts; allow for a greater flexibility in managing work, family and other responsibilities;...

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

Regina Doherty: Since late September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of approximately 80,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement on post Budget 2012 rate-bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation which includes...

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

Regina Doherty: It is well known that people are living for much longer. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year.  This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision which are currently increasing by approximately €1 billion every 5 years.  In the coming decades, the ratio of workers to...

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

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on 23 October 2018. The evidence submitted in support of this application was...

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. In order to qualify for WFP, the applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. This condition must be satisfied on an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Retirements (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to...

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

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the JobPath service, Tús and Community Employment (CE).  The Tús initiative is a community work placement scheme...

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

Regina Doherty: My Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the Community Employment (CE), Tús, JobPath and Local Employment Schemes (LES).  The aim of CE is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 634 together. The Government's Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018 -2023 launched in February 2018 detailed specific measures that will modernise our pension system.  It includes plans for reform and simplification of occupational and private pensions.  Transposition of the Directive is a key part of the Government’s...

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

Regina Doherty: Supervisors on CE schemes are employees of companies that receive public funding in the community and voluntary sector.  They are not employees of my Department or public servants. CE companies contract with my Department to provide suitable work and training opportunities for participants.  A CE scheme may be considered no longer viable when the sponsor...