Results 9,861-9,880 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I wholly endorse this. It was never my intention for it to be ongoing because I did not see the need for that to happen. Please God, we will never have another year like this one because of Brexit. If and when we do, we will worry about it. I, therefore, ask Deputy O'Dea to withdraw the amendment on foot of me showing him the report prior to Report Stage.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I thank Deputies Penrose and O'Dea for their understanding. Under Deputy Brady's proposal, section 20 would effectively be deleted. That would mean that no one would be able to receive an increase in the national minimum wage at any date in the next 12 months. I am not sure whether he realises what he is attempting to do. My repeated statements, his misunderstanding of which is causing...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I have flagged that we will table an amendment on Report Stage to add to the amendment submitted by Deputies O'Dea and Penrose, but there will be other amendments to address issues raised in the Supreme Court's judgment that found that the provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act related to the entitlements of prisoners were unconstitutional. To put it simply, the court found that...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I do not believe it has ever been done before. The Attorney General told me yesterday that if he had a choice, he would not be advising us to do it. However, given the circumstances, it needs to be done via the quickest medium possible and that just happens to be this Bill.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: It has to do with people making appeals against decisions made on forestry applications to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I believe it will introduce an increase in the fee charged for making an appeal. I am looking to Deputy O'Dea for information since he probably knows more about it than I do.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is an agricultural amendment, but it has been deemed to be urgent enough to be inserted into the next available legislation which just happens to be this Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that the matter raised by the Deputy is being investigated by my Department. Any workers affected should attend their local Intreo Centre where they can discuss their entitlements. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2020 (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: As part of Budget 2020, I announced, on 8th October this year, that I was directing the resources available to me towards a series of targeted measures to ensure that the social welfare system supports the most vulnerable people in our society. These measures include: - A €5 increase to the living alone allowance for over 160,000 pensioners, widows and widowers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred on 27 September 2019 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.  I have also been advised that, following initial consideration of the appeal, the Appeals Officer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Applications (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs.  The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons.  The fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred on 4 November 2019 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.  The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Data (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a case management service that provides employment counselling and advice to long-term unemployed jobseekers with a view to improving their prospects of securing sustained full-time employment. The service is provided to help and support clients to identify and pursue suitable job opportunities themselves with the help of a Personal Adviser. Support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Medical Review and Assessment Section (MRAS), in conjunction with individual scheme business sections, co-ordinates and manages all referrals for assessment to the Medical Assessors. The Department offers a number of schemes on illness, disability; carers and occupational injury and applications vary in volume and frequency both yearly and seasonally. High volume and resource...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Community Employment (CE) programme is designed to enhance employability by providing work experience and training opportunities for people within their communities. The programme is operated by CE Sponsors, who are typically voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit the local community. These CE Sponsoring organisations contract, as independent employers, with my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. To qualify the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention and must show that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment paid by my Department to full time carers. The person concerned was awarded the 2018 and 2019 Grants on 4 October 2019. Written notification of this award was sent to her that day. An amount of €3,400 (€1,700 for 2018 and €1,700 for 2019) was sent to her nominated bank account on 10 October 2019. I trust this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for a Companion Free Travel Pass on 26 August 2019. The application was assessed by the Department’s Medical Adviser on 07 September 2019. Based on the medical evidence provided, the application was disallowed on 14 September 2019. It is open to the person concerned to provide additional (or specialist) medical evidence in support of their claim for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (26 Nov 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 disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 20 November 2019. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Data (26 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 to 473, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, the primary purpose of JobPath is to provide a case management based employment advice and counselling service to long term unemployed jobseekers. Between July 2015 and October 2019, some 247,296 jobseekers had commenced their engagement period with the JobPath service. Of this number, 52% were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (26 Nov 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 can confirm that arrears of carers allowance due from 6 December 2018 to 5 June 2019, for the amount of...