Results 7,561-7,580 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is no wonder Senator Leyden has no women in his party. That is all I will say.

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: I thank Members for their courtesy. The Bill will now move to the Dáil and I look forward to engaging further on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: It was the Low Pay Commission that recommended to the Government last year that the training rates be abolished, on the basis that they were not being used. That report was published in the fourth quarter of last year and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas at that time. There was no delay whatsoever in telling anybody in the industry. We all received the letter from the hairdressing...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: Let him finish.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (7 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 10 December 2018. The application is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (7 Mar 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 an applicant must be engaged in full-time paid employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight.   Working Family Payment for the person concerned is due for renewal from 6 March 2019. An...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (7 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am acutely aware of the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment, CE, sponsor organisations provide in running CE Schemes all over the country.  CE supervisors, as employees of these organisations, are an integral part of that good work.   However, it is important to emphasise the fact that CE scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Minimum Wage (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: Legislation governing the national minimum wage is set down in the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 and the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. These Acts provide for the setting of a national minimum wage (NMW) and also provide that in specified circumstances, such as younger workers and trainees, a reduced, sub-minimum rate may be applied. In September 2015, the then...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: I want to assure the Deputy that the IORP II Directive will be transposed into Irish law in accordance with the Government Decision of 9 January 2019. Government approved the approach of applying the requirements of the Directive to all funded occupational pension schemes to enhance pension scheme governance and the consumer protection of pensioners, members and future members....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 630 together. The EU Working Time Directive 2003/88 of the European Parliament and Council concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time, was a consolidation of Council Directive 93/104/EC and Directive 2000/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. The aim of the Directive is to protect workers' health and safety by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: The National Training Fund Levy (NTFL), collected alongside Employer PRSI for Classes A and H, increased by 0.1% from 0.8% to 0.9% from 1 January 2019. This means that Employer rates (combined PRSI and NTFL) for Classes A and H increased by 0.1% from 1 January 2019. Currently, Class A employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.7% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €386. Once...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Records (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has advised that it has been difficult to locate the individual's records on the basis of the information provided. If the Deputy can provide more details in relation to this person to my officials, further enquiries will be made. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: The average appeal processing times for 2018 and to date in 2019 are outlined in the following tables. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded by the Department and just 1% are appealed. Nevertheless, the Department is concerned that these cases...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department oversees the procurement process for the Local Employment Services (LES). In looking to the future of the contracted public employment service, my Department commissioned Indecon to conduct a review of the Local Employment Services and Job Clubs. LES and Job Club providers were aware of the Indecon review and were consulted during the review process. This review was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Services Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: The scheme that the Deputy is referring to is a Community Services Programme. This is therefore not a matter for this Department and is proper to the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Deputy should raise this matter with my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Brexit Issues (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Fuel Allowance Scheme represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is means tested and is paid only to customers who are getting a qualifying payment, either a State Pension or a means-assessed payment. The rate of fuel allowance is €22.50 per week or €630.00 annually. Currently the fuel season is 28 weeks, and the allowance can be paid weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 636 to 641, inclusive, together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €57.6 million in 2019 representing an increase of €3.6 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Blind Person's Pension Eligibility (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: Blind Pension (BP) is a means-tested payment for blind and visually impaired people between the ages of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in Ireland. According to section 161A(a) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended), a person shall be entitled to BP where the person has attained the age of 18 years but has not attained pensionable age. The payment is made up of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (12 Mar 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 be 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 Allowance (12 Mar 2019)

Regina Doherty: As part of a Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) Self-Employed review project, the Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) requested the person concerned's income and expenditure details for the previous two years and sent their findings to the Deciding Officer (DO). The DO used this information to reassess means, and concluded that he was in receipt of income that was in excess of the JA rate applicable to...