Results 8,841-8,860 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Data (10 Jul 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: Youth Employment Initiative (10 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) was introduced on Monday 1 October 2018 and has been open to applications from that date. YESS is a work experience programme, targeted at young jobseekers who are long-term unemployed or who face significant barriers to employment.  The scheme aims to provide participants with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (10 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed to establish an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) to explore how social inclusion schemes might best be organised into the future including which Department should hold lead responsibility for sponsoring CE schemes focused on social Inclusion, the Rural Social Scheme and the Job Initiative scheme.  Meetings of the IDG have taken place...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: As part of Budget 2019, it was announced that DEASP would commence a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing Hot School Meals in 36 primary schools for an estimated 7,200 children at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. All 3,239 primary schools have been issued with an invitation to submit an expression of interest to participate in the pilot. An expression of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cyber Security Protocols (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department takes Information Security (IS) issues very seriously and has a comprehensive set of Information Security policies, procedures, plans and controls in place to safeguard and strengthen its ICT systems against cyber-attacks. My Department has a dedicated cyber security unit which constantly monitors for cyber security breaches and carries out security reviews on a regular...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Appeals Office is currently located in accommodation which will require to be upgraded. The lease on the property has expired but the tenancy is rolling over on an annual basis. The Commissioners for Public Works are currently in negotiation on a new lease with the landlord. Whilst the Department is reviewing alternative locations, no decisions have been made. Any alternative location...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Jul 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 29 April 2019. The application is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (11 Jul 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Living Wage is based on research identifying the income required for the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) for a single-adult household in Ireland. It is an estimate made by a Living Wage Technical Group, led by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice (VPSJ). The living wage approach starts with an analysis of the expenditure likely to be incurred by an individual...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement continues its important role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 20,160 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant. There is no contractual relationship between the landlord and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 901 and 902 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department does not receive any incremental staged payments. All of the Department's streams of income are reported annually in the statutory accounts being Vote 37 Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Appropriation Account and the Social Insurance Fund financial statements. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Project Ireland 2040 (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 904, 905 and 907 together. The National Development Plan 2018 to 2027 which forms part of Project Ireland 2040 sets out there two projects that come under my Department's remit, viz.additional ICT modernisation and the refurbishment of my Department’s Áras Mhic Dhiarmada building. In relation to ICT modernisation, my Department continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed to establish an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) to explore how social inclusion schemes might best be organised into the future including which Department should hold lead responsibility for sponsoring CE schemes focused on social Inclusion, the Rural Social Scheme and the Job Initiative scheme. Meetings of the IDG have taken place along...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (11 Jul 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: For those people who reached state pension age since September 2012, two different methods of calculating their entitlement to a contributory state pension are used. There are several differing elements involved in each calculating method. For example, the Yearly Average (YA) method does not include a limit on credited contributions. The interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA), as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Capital Expenditure Programme (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department’s capital allocation is split over three subheads i.e. A.2. (v) Office Equipment and External IT Services, A.2. (vi) Office Premises Expenses and A.2. (ix) eGovernment Related Projects. The following table outlines my Department’s plans for the 2019 capital allocation of €15m (including €1m capital carry over from 2018). A.2. (v) Office Equipment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Capital Expenditure Programme (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: I understand the Deputy is seeking information on projects with a spend of €5 million or above since 2010. The capital allocation for my Department is primarily used to deliver IT modernisation and carry out refurbishments on the Department’s buildings. There have been no individual capital projects with a spend of €5 million or above since 2010. I hope this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has arrangements in place to assist with member tracing. Where the administrator of a pension scheme is unable to trace a member using their own resources they can use my Department’s host mailing service. Following discussions between my Department, the Pensions Authority and the Irish Association of Pension Funds, a revised protocol was put in place in October...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Rebates (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is an employer’s responsibility to pay statutory redundancy to eligible employees. Previously employers were entitled to a rebate from the state of 60% of the relevant redundancy payment. These rebates were abolished from 2013 due to the high cost to the Social Insurance Fund. These Employer rebates were paid to employers regardless of the financial situation of the company and...