Results 9,221-9,240 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The legislation allowing for the disregard of proceeds from sale of principal residence - Article 158 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 - applies to those moving to more suitable accommodation who are in receipt of one of the following payments: - State Pension (Non-Contributory) - Widow's, Widower's or Surviving civil Partner's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: JobPath is a service which supports people who are long-term unemployed to secure and sustain full time paid employment.  Two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua, have been contracted by my Department to deliver the service.  The JobPath employment service commenced in 2015 and, under the terms of the contracts signed with the providers, was to run for at least six years comprising...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Following recent changes to the eligibility criteria, it is now open to participants on Community Employment schemes to apply for a Fuel Allowance.  If the Deputy would like to forward the details of a particular case(s) he is referring to I will have them examined. I trust this clarifies the position. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €630 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €240 million in 2019.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: As I was aware that we would be resuming our consideration of Committee Stage of the Bill on this amendment, I approached the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection and asked him if was aware of it. He was not. I asked him if he had a problem extending an invitation to me, which I would be very happy to accept, and he said he had no problem doing so....

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The amendment seeks that the Minister would produce a report within three months of the passing of this Act, which the House will be aware it is hoped to commence on 1 November as a policy. I am hopeful that the Act will be passed in the next couple of weeks. The amendment provides that the Minister, on the passing of the Act, would produce a report within three months on a policy that has...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is not true.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is a year away. The plan is-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Senator asked a question regarding the timeline, which I did not answer. As per the pensions roadmap issued in March 2018, the plan is to establish the new total contributions approach, TCA, model by quarter 4 of 2020. That plan is on target. There is plenty of time for us to conclude our deliberations, which I hope to have done by the end of this year. I cannot commit to a review of a...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Senator is asking that a report be produced within three months of the passing of this Act.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Senator is asking me for the details of a policy that has not yet been decided. With all due respect to the Senator, when I am ready and the policy has been finalised, the first place it will be brought is the Cabinet. The legislation will then be drafted. It must then go through pre-legislative scrutiny and will then be drafted and published. It must then come to both Houses of the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: How can I give the Senator a report within three months when I do not know when we will be ready to have a Cabinet-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Again, I am not in a position to accept the amendment. The Senator will appreciate that as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, in the main, I have a difficult job that is even more difficult at the moment regarding prioritising where our very small resources might be directed. I also have the job of prioritising the resources of a relatively small team to do policy work...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: When the youngest child of a jobseeker's transitional payment claimant turns 14, the claimant may transition to jobseeker's allowance assuming the claimant is eligible for it. This payment has a much lower maximum income disregard at €60 compared with €150 per week on the jobseeker's transitional payment. The tapered rate of jobseeker's allowance is higher at 60%, compared...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: With respect, the amendment proposes the preparing of a report. We are not having a debate as to whether we should be amending the policy to extend the disregard from €150 currently for people who are in work from the €60 jobseeker's transitional payment. I do not have the resources to prepare a report on a policy with which the Government does not agree. I am not trying to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Then perhaps a future Government should prepare a report that does agree with changing the policy.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I think, in fairness-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Through the Chair, I have made three interventions, namely, in the qualified child increase last year and in disregard for lone parents in my last three budgets, so I do not believe I can be found wanting.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Again, I am not proposing to accept this amendment on the basis that what the Senator is asking us to do already exists. The focus of our employment services provided through Intreo is supporting and assisting people back into the workforce where it is appropriate for them. The Intreo services are already open to anybody who is looking for a job regardless of what their status is. Whether...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will let the Deputy know what we did last year. We actively targeted everybody who was in a jobless household and, in particular, the women in those households because in the main it would be men who were on the social welfare register in some way, shape or form, but women were voiceless and identity-less. They are the women we specifically targeted last year and this year to invite them...