Results 7,921-7,940 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (4 Apr 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 based on post Budget 2012 rate-bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation which includes provision...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The JobPath employment service commenced in 2015 and under the terms of the contracts signed with the providers will run for a total of at least six years.  This is comprised of two phases; phase one entails four years of client referrals to the end of 2019, while phase two entails a ‘run off’ period during which employment support will be continued but...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Data (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The primary purpose of JobPath is to provide a case management based, employment advice and counseling service to long term unemployed jobseekers.  This is the group of jobseekers that faces the most significant barriers to entering full-time employment. Between July 2015 and March 2019, some 216,546 jobseekers had commenced their engagement period with the JobPath...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The main social welfare supports for unemployed people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment are the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) and jobseeker’s benefit (JB) schemes.   A pilot initiative to assist self-employed visual artists and writers who apply to my Department for JA was launched in June 2017.  The initiative involved...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides a range of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  Entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability itself but on the extent to which a person’s capacity to work is restricted by illness or disability. The Make Work Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has no role in setting the level of pensions received by members of occupational pension schemes.  Pension increases for occupational pensions are entirely a matter for the scheme trustees and the sponsoring employer. If any individual has evidence that pension scheme trustees are not acting in the best interests of scheme members they should complain to the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.  WFP is payable for a 52 week period from award date and a person must reapply at the end of this period to have their payment renewed. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers.  This includes ensuring that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: One of the key parameters in any pension system is setting the age at which a State pension can be drawn.  To accommodate demographic ageing, all EU countries have undertaken, or have scheduled, reforms to their State pension age.  In Ireland, legislation that progressively increases the Irish State pension age to 68 in 2028 has already been enacted.  However, it is recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means tested payment, made to people who are providing full-time care and attention to elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits.  The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test which applies is satisfied. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Christmas Bonus payment is made to long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term unemployed people who rely wholly or mainly on their social welfare payments for financial support. The payment of a Christmas Bonus is a discretionary decision made by Government in the context of the annual Budget process and available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: 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 food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 45 together. 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 based on post Budget 2012 rate-bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Telephone Support Allowance (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The telephone allowance scheme was an element of the household benefits package (HHB).  The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance was estimated to provide annual savings of €48 million at that time.  These savings meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Activation Projects (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The 2019 Rev Estimate for Disability Activation Supports provides for an allocation of €15.3m in 2019.  This is an increase of €1.45m on the 2018 outturn which was €13.9m. The following table provides the details for 2018 and 2019: - 2018 provisional outturn 2019 REV estimate 2019 REV vs 2018 outturn % variance Disability Activation Supports Ability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: A person is required to have 520 contributions paid to qualify for the State Pension (contributory).  It is reasonable to require people who seek a contributory pension to have made at least 10 years paid contributions into the Social Insurance Fund which finances it, over 50 years of working age life.  While it was lower in the past when PRSI coverage was less widespread,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Projects (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has recently commenced working collaboratively with the Law Reform Commission for the purpose of preparing and publishing a Revised Version of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.  This will incorporate all amendments to the SWCA 2005 which have (to date) been made in 26 Social Welfare Amendment Acts and, to a lesser extent, in 14 other Acts of the Oireachtas. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The majority of people in receipt of a payment from my Department receive what they are entitled to.  Nevertheless, my Department recognises that abuse of the welfare system is an on-going reality and must be tackled proactively.  The Department’s anti-fraud and control measures are designed to prevent and detect fraud, ensure effective oversight of schemes, pursue the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 2019)

Regina Doherty: The transposition of the IORP II Directive will result in significant improvements to the regulation and governance of funded occupational pension schemes in Ireland.  While the Directive provides for the possibility of derogation from specific Articles for smaller schemes, I believe that members of smaller schemes should get the same protections and oversight as members...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (4 Apr 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...