Results 8,861-8,880 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate employees for the loss of their jobs, where the employer is unable to pay statutory redundancy due to financial difficulties or insolvency. The scheme was never intended as a support to businesses to hire staff. The scheme is funded from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Up to 2011, the scheme provided a rebate of 60 per cent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: Under current legislation, a Public Services Card (PSC) cannot be requested by any public or private body or person that is not designated as a specified body in Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). The PSC can only be used by public bodies specified in this legislation when conducting a public transaction with the person concerned. One of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Payments (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: Farm Assist Scheme Data (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: A detailed breakdown of the number of recipients of Farm Assist by county in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019 is attached in table 1. An equivalent breakdown of Farm Assist expenditure by county is not available. However, the nationwide expenditure in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019 is detailed in table 2. Tabular statement attached/..... Table 1: Farm...

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

Regina Doherty: A breakdown of the number of recipients of Fish Assist by county in each of the years 2012 to 2018 and to date in 2019 is detailed in the attached tabular statement. I regret that expenditure on Fish Assist is not segregated from overall expenditure on Jobseeker's Allowance, so that I cannot provide the corresponding expenditure figures. Tabular statementattached/..... The number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is a condition for receipt of Carer's Benefit (CARB) that the person being cared for must have such a disability that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continual supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself. An...

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

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations and, to a lesser extent, public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities. The private school outlined by the Deputy provides an alternative to the mainstream model of education. Charges are applied in respect of those attending the...

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

Regina Doherty: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the DPER website www.circulars.gov.ie where circulars and guidelines relating to corporate governancematters for Government Departments and Agencies are held. These circulars would provide guidance in matters such as pay, pensions and promotions. In this regard, my Department would take the necessary steps and measures to implement the provisions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Climate Change Policy (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department continues to engage with the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment; the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI); the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and the Office of Public Works (OPW) to deliver the Government's energy efficiency and climate action plan. The Management Board of my Department has recently approved the...

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 persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. The department informs me that there is no application by the person concerned for CA registered. If the person in question wishes to make an application, she should complete and return...

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 persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. The department informs me that there is no application by the person concerned for CA registered. If the person in question wishes to make an application, she should complete and return...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The request from the person concerned for an independent review was received by the Department on the 27thJune 2019. A full review of the case has been completed and an Exceptional Need Payment to the value of €2000.00 has been approved. The signed determination of the Review Officer was posted to the person concerned on 09thJuly 2019. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (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. 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 Pension (Contributory) Applications (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 932 and 933 together. The average waiting time to award a state pension (contributory) or a state pension (non- contributory) at the end of June was 8 and 10 weeks respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Applications (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant is paid by the Department, on the 1stThursday in June each year, to persons in receipt Carers Allowance or Carers Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. The annual grant is paid at the rate of €1,700 in respect of each person being cared for. Over 90% of all payments of the grant are made on this date. A carer who is not in receipt of one of these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (11 Jul 2019)

Regina Doherty: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children.  It is currently paid, to almost 632,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of €2.1 billion this year. The Department operates control programmes on all payment schemes.  A number of methods are used to select...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: There are a number of payments and pensions paid by my department to people over State pension age. The State pension (contributory) is a PRSI based payment. It is not means tested and is paid from the Social Insurance Fund which in turn is financed by Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement levels are largely based on such contributions. The maximum rate of payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1762, 1763 and 1889 together. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The Government has provided €56.3m for the scheme in 2019 which operates from June to September....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1764, 1765, 1768, 1771 and 1841 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...