Results 9,361-9,380 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would like to see our system of child maintenance move away from the current adversarial, costly, confrontational approach which can involve lengthy delays. I want to see an examination of international best practice in relation to child maintenance to gain insight into how Ireland can achieve better outcomes in a proactive manner for families. Therefore, I will progress the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Fuel Allowance is currently 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.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Eligibility (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.  Recipients of state pension non-contributory are obliged to notify the Department of any changes in their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: TA recipient of the State Pension (Contributory) can claim an increase of pension in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse/partner of the pensioner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by the pensioner. An increase is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the spouse/partner is €100 a week or less while reduced rates are payable where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The rules as to the calculation of means for means-tested schemes, including Supplementary Welfare Allowance, are set out in Schedule 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005. In addition to Schedule 3 of the Act, the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations, 2007 (S.I. No. 142 of 2007), articles 7 to 12 and Chapter 6 of Part 3 in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Applications (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children, relative to family size. An application for WFP (dated 18 August 2019) and a subsequent application (dated 25 September 2019) was also received from the person concerned. The person concerned has been awarded WFP for 52 weeks...

Social Welfare Bill 2019: Financial Resolution (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I move:THAT the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution to provide for the deeming of amounts to be paid on foot of jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) under the Social Welfare Acts to be deemed to be earned income for the purpose of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and subject to...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am genuinely really pleased to have an opportunity to introduce this Bill to the Dáil today. I express my sincere appreciation to everybody, not just those on all sides of this House but in the Seanad too, for agreeing to deal with All Stages of the Bill today, as was the case in the Seanad last week. The purpose of this Bill is to...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would be surprised if the Deputy was not concerned.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Who knew we all had so much in common?

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will respond to the two questions were asked. I assure Deputy Brady that the activation offering available to jobseekers who were self-employed is exactly the same as what is on offer to those who were employed. I also assure him that the Department follows up overpayments and underpayments in the exact same vigorous manner. He would probably use different language. When the Department...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment. The conditionality is not the same. The reason the section states "For the purposes of this Chapter" is because the conditionality to access jobseeker's benefit for the self-employed is slightly different from that for the employed. We tried to mirror it as closely as possible. The number of contributions are different.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is why the line is in the section not once but 18 times. It is to emphasise that for the purposes of the new chapter 12(a), the conditions are different from the preceding chapters that govern jobseeker's benefit for the employed. It seems like they are only words, but there are different conditions.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I genuinely appreciate the divergence between the requirements for employed contributions paid at 39 class A contributions in the governing year, while we propose that there are 52 class S contributions for the same type of access to the scheme. The divergence simply reflects how self-employed people pay their PRSI contributions. We will never find anybody with a PRSI contribution of 39...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I appreciate what the Deputy is saying, but they are not the same. We would be having a different conversation if amendment No. 3 had not been ruled out of order. This is not more onerous, given that the self-employed can only make zero or 52 contributions. I hear what the Deputy is saying.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (16 Oct 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. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 25 March 2019. The application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I was pleased to announce last week that the Christmas Bonus will be paid again this year at a rate of 100% in early December. Illness benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria).  Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: An application for Household Benefits was received from the person concerned on 9 October 2019.  A request for further information issued to the claimant on 11 October 2019.  Upon receipt of the required information, a decision will be made on the person's entitlement and the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome.   I hope...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Data (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) 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.  The BTEA is not intended to provide a basis...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together. A new operating model which seeks to make best use of resources by balancing workloads across the Intreo network is currently being introduced. The new model utilises recent ICT developments implemented in Intreo Centres – collectively known as the digital claim - which have removed the location constraints of the...