Results 7,381-7,400 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Irish Language (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is represented on the Inter-Departmental Group for the Government's 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 and officials are familiar with the objectives of the Strategy. The Department’s Language Scheme 2015 – 2018, which took effect from 16 March 2015, sets out the Department’s commitments to customer service in Irish and advises of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: A claim for paternity benefit from the person concerned was received outside of the prescribed time limits and as a result it was not initially awarded. Further information was requested in relation to the claim and the reason that it was submitted late to the department. Following receipt of this information a review of the decision has now been made and I can confirm that a decision was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: There are 4 points on the Community Employment (CE) supervisor pay scale. Over 75% of CE supervisors are on point 4 which equates to an average cost of €40,309 annually or a weekly rate of €772.50. The following is the % break down of supervisors on the pay scale: Point on Salary Scale Weely Salary Annual Salary % number of supervisors Point 1 €639.61...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Retirements (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years from its current age of 66. The first increase to 67 years of age will occur in 2021 and the second to 68 years of age in 2028. The purpose of these changes is to make the pension system more sustainable in the context of increasing life expectancy. This has significant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 26th February 2019. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (20 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 efficient...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has been in receipt of Farm Assist since April 2017. Means for Farm Assist was reassessed from 23 January 2019 as the person concerned commenced insurable employment. As per payslip dated 08 February 2019 his gross earnings per fortnight are €1,069.08, PRSI deduction is €47.22. Means from his insurable employment have been assessed at €270.56 per...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I thank the committee for the invitation to talk about the miscellaneous provisions (withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019. Parts 11 and 12 of the Bill fall within the remit of my Department. I appreciate the time and engagement of the committee as we bring forward this Bill with the hope of addressing a range of critical issues that may arise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: It will have to come back to the Dáil.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: As I definitely would, I thank the Chairman and appreciate that. I am not sure why the Deputy thinks that we are very late in the day with regard to this, given that I have described in detail the amount of work that has been done by the Department with regard to the convention that started at the beginning of 2018. I have said a number of times on the record that I travelled to London...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I think that may have been true insofar as when we tried to find a legal definition of and legal arrangements for the common travel area, which has been enjoyed for many decades, there probably was not a very sound legal basis. However, we now have a bilateral agreement between Ireland and the United Kingdom on the reciprocity of all our social insurance and social security arrangements, so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: Yes. The Chairman is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I know I flew through the statement, but the heads of the Bill will be slightly different from the actual published Bill on Friday insofar as we have changed the Bill. We no longer need the regulations on habitual residency. They are already in the reciprocal convention we have with the United Kingdom. In order to assure the Senator, and I know she has issues with habitual residency and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will try to be as clear as I can. Notwithstanding the anomalies the Senator thinks exist, the way in which habitual residency stands and is operated today, warts and all, is exactly how it will operate on 30 March. We have not changed it or deviated. What we have done is literally mirror exactly every single operation that occurs between Ireland and the United Kingdom and between the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: There is a review clause inherent in every Bill such that anybody can bring an amendment to it at any time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: There is nothing to stop anybody reviewing any legislation, and that is true of this Bill too. As I said earlier, I am hopeful that even if we do pass this legislation I will never have to commence the provisions in regard to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, in particular section 11. Section 12 is different in that it is outside the scope of the convention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: On my own behalf and on behalf of my staff, I thank Deputy Carey for his compliments. The payments covered include the State pension (contributory), carer's benefit, health and safety benefit, illness benefit, treatment benefit, adoptive benefit, maternity benefit, paternity benefit, invalidity pension, partial capacity benefit, widow's, widower's and surviving civil partner's contributory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The convention provides for it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is irrelevant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (20 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The convention does exactly what the Senator has suggested we should have done a long time ago.