Results 8,961-8,980 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: A person can qualify for treatment benefit in two ways, either using their own PRSI record if they have the required contributions or by using their spouse’s/partner’s record if they are financially dependent on their spouse or partner. When a person wishes to claim treatment benefit under the dependent spouse scheme, based on their spouse’s/partner’s PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 619 together. The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible under the scheme. The scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: In my Department's consideration of the draft report of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) on the Public Services Card in 2018 and the final report received by my Department in August 2019, my officials consulted with the Attorney General's Office (AGO). External counsel also contributed to the examination of both the draft and final reports. Counsel was engaged via the AGO, as is the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Payments (17 Sep 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, those being the Yearly Averaging (YA) approach used since the inception of the contributory pension in 1961 and an interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA).  The customer receives the higher rate of the two...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The introduction of a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing the level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims was signalled by the then Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010.  At that time it set a target date of 2020 for the implementation of TCA.  More recently, the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023 targeted implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 05 September 2019.  The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.  The Social Welfare Appeals Office has also advised me that a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based 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.   An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on 8 July 2019.  The application was awarded to the person concerned with effect from 18 July 2019 when her...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (17 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment, made to a person 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. Before a decision can be made on entitlement to CARB, evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s care requirement, the level of care the carer provides, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Review (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeals of the person concerned relating to carer's allowance applications in respect of her parents by way of  summary decisions on 9 April 2019. Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am currently engaging with representatives of CE supervisors to discuss issues arising following the 2008 Labour Court Recommendation.  All parties to the engagement process have agreed that the detail of the discussions should remain confidential while the engagement is ongoing and I would ask Deputies to respect these wishes and allow the talks to continue free from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (17 Sep 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. As is the case with most other means-tested social welfare payments, CA is not payable on an extended basis to or in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Funding (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body with responsibility for the  Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS).  A project to restructure the governance arrangements of the MABS companies  from 51 local companies to 8 regional companies was completed towards end 2018. Following the restructure of the MABS local companies,  the Board of CIB...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (17 Sep 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 have a qualified child and 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 was due for renewal from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I refer to the Deputy's Parliamentary Questions 14647/19, 17527/19, 28052/19 and 35780/19 on this matter.  The rent supplement claim for the person concerned was reviewed in April 2019 and the payment awarded was based on the application and documentation submitted by the person concerned. My Department has not been made aware of any change in circumstances since the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has applied for a Personal Public Services Number (PPSN) and was requested by an officer of this Department on 16th August 2019 to produce further documentation in order to complete their application. The documentation requested has not yet been provided to the Department. Once the requested documentation has been submitted, the person's PPSN...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 639 and 640 together. In the interest of transparency, I intend to publish the Data Protection Commission’s Report on the Public Services Card and my Department’s Summary Response to the Report later today – Tuesday 17thSeptember. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Reform (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The review referred to is being conducted by a retired Commissioner from the Revenue Commissioners. The purpose of the review is to identify the core reasons for the issues experienced in 2018 when IB claims was migrated from a legacy platform (known as ISTS) to a newer platform known as BOMi. Most of the Department's schemes and services are successfully supported on the BOMi platform,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The new social inclusion strategy – ‘Roadmap for Social Inclusion: Ambitions, Goals, Commitments 2019-2025’ - is being developed following consultation with relevant Government Departments and other stakeholders.  The Roadmap is currently being finalised and it is expected that the new strategy will be published shortly. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (17 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Reduced rates for Jobseekers Allowance recipients aged 18-25 were introduced on a phased basis to tackle high youth unemployment which had reached its highest level in 2009 with almost 28% of people under 25 years of age unemployed and to prevent long-term welfare dependency.  This policy is in line with other EU and OECD jurisdictions.  Receiving the maximum weekly rate...