Results 8,381-8,400 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments.  Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  The assessment of capital reflects an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of capital and property are in a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold.  The policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs have created an environment in which business can succeed and has led to the creation of more than 400,000 jobs since the economic low point. Secondly, through the Pathways to Work strategy, my Department ensures that as many new jobs as possible are filled by people taken from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015, which comes under the remit of the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, provides the legal basis for Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs).  SEOs can cover a broad range of issues such as pay, pensions or sick pay schemes for workers in an economic sector.   Separately, I have met with relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: Basic weekly supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) may be paid to customers awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment.  In certain circumstances, if a person is not eligible for other social welfare payments and their weekly income is below the SWA rate for their family size, a payment may be made to bring their income up to the appropriate SWA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Local Employment Services and Job Clubs contracts are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in the context of the Irish labour market, as well as providing value for money for taxpayers.  Indecon, in its reviews of LES and Job Clubs published last January, recommended that the Department should consider multiannual contracts and a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 May 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).  These changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the pension entitlement calculation, for those who took time out of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 42 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: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers.  This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Currently the average time taken to process new carer’s allowance (CA) applications is 12 weeks and the average time taken to process new carer’s benefit (CARB)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 May 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of care.  Full-time care and attention is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 May 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: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers.  This includes ensuring that reviews are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. In general, reviews of entitlement to social welfare schemes with a number of complex qualifying conditions can take longer to process.  Requests for review of a decision can include...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The JobPath employment service commenced in 2015 and, under the terms of the contracts signed with the providers will run for at least six years.  This includes a period of at least four years of client referrals to the end of 2019, and a run off period of at least two years.  The contract includes an option to extend the term of referrals for a period of up to two years beyond the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: In Budget 2019, I announced the introduction of a new social insurance based parental benefit scheme to take effect this November. The new scheme will provide two weeks paid leave to both parents, including those who adopt a child, who are employees or self-employed and who take parental leave from their employment to care for their child.  The scheme will support parents...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 May 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: Pension Provisions (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: Scheme trustees have duties and responsibilities under the Pension Act 1990, as amended, under trust law and under other relevant legislation.  The duties of pension scheme trustees include administering the scheme in accordance with the law and the terms of the trust deed and scheme rules as well as ensuring compliance with the requirements that apply to these schemes. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The following tabular statement presents the average number of Paternity Benefit recipients, nationwide and for County Limerick, in each of the periods 2016 (October - December), 2017, 2018, and 2019 (January - April).   I note that the share of Paternity Benefit recipients in County Limerick - about 4% of the national total - is what would be expected given that County...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA), operated by my Department, provides people with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment.  It enables eligible people to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions.  There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €248 million this year on HHB for over 446,000 customers. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (30 May 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for the recruitment of temporary clerical officers (TCOs) for all Government Departments. I am advised that they are to shortly commence the interview stage for County Longford TCO candidates, who have stated on their application form that their availability is June to September only.