Results 10,641-10,660 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I beg the Deputy's pardon. I had not seen it in my notes. We have worked very hard in recent months to work with the Debenhams workers to support them in seeing what is available from our offices. The workers can, of course, all avail of the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment right now for as long as it exists. As I have already said, that will be well after the original end date of...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy heard earlier from the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, he will bring a memorandum to Cabinet tomorrow and that wage subsidy anomaly will be resolved. As regards maternity benefit, I do not know how many women are involved, but a number of women whose maternity benefit had finished came to us and we in the Department sanctioned them for the Covid...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I agree that this set-up is weird, but life is a bit weird at the moment. I would be grateful if this were the least of our worries. I am not in negotiations with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government over rent supplement and HAP because we were asked to respond to need. We took a 28-page application form, which requires large volumes of information, and revised it to a...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I was not saying that we are not increasing supports and money for rent supplement because we absolutely are. Today's Revised Estimates see that figure go up to €70 million. However, it is not our job to take over if the local authorities around the country are not providing HAP because they also have a job to do. HAP was going up and rent supplement was coming down and we are only...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: There is absolutely no passing of the parcel. Last week, I told the Deputy the truth, that is, that the legislation is equality legislation. If the Deputy does not take my word for it, which seems to be common practice every time we have an interaction, she only has to Google the legislation to see it is the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality. I will outline where the...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy clearly does not believe what I am saying to her so I ask her to Google the legislation. On doing so, she will see it is the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality. There was legislation passed in March by both Houses, but that was when we had a Seanad. Right now, we do not have one. I am not sure how the Deputy suggests we could proceed without one even if...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Estimates are estimates of what we are going to spend. These are no different from the Supplementary Estimate presented this time last year or the qualified substantive Estimate at the beginning of that year. This is exactly the same. It is just unfortunate that it was not done in December. Had it been done in December, however, it would not have included the €6.5 billion we have...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Estimates are not in direct contradiction to the statement I made at the opening of this session five hours ago. The Estimates presented today are based on no change being made to policy. The latest legislation was passed on 19 March. The Estimates are based on everything that had gone on heretofore. The presentation of the Estimates today in no way ties the hands of Government or...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I will go backwards to point out that the social protection code we have had in this country for many years is absolutely effective in protecting people from poverty. The Deputy does not have to take my word for it. The ESRI and Social Justice Ireland will tell him that. It will continue to offer that protection and any changes we have made, and will make in the future, will be put through...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Deputy but, unfortunately, neither of the issues he raised relates directly to my Department. However, he made very valid points. He is not the first to raise the Safe Pass today, or perhaps he might have raised it with the Minister for Finance earlier when I was listening. I will raise it tomorrow with the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and ensure we can find...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Again, I would say, and the Deputy is probably well aware, that was the subject of many conversations during the general election campaign. It would be a matter for the programme for Government and I hope those negotiations will come to a successful conclusion and outcome in the next number of days.

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The first point the Deputy raised was on maternity leave. One would be daft not to see the merits. Of course I see the merits, and I will certainly make representations, as has been asked of me, so that is not a problem. I thought we had filled the gap with regard to those sole traders over the age of 66. The reason we could not include them in the Covid-19 payment is that the working...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy knows that we have had two meetings with Safe Ireland and other representative bodies in recent weeks. Matters are progressing well and I will continue to make sure that we do that. Streamlining the process is the key to making sure we are responsive to people. In the first instance, we are absolutely putting people in emergency accommodation and paying for that emergency...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (28 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I wish to reassure the Deputy that when anybody's health and well-being is in danger or their safety is at risk, the departmental officials have discretionary powers to allow them to work outside the normal rules we would have. I know we said we have relaxed rules with regard to rent supplement. I reassure the Deputy that any departmental official dealing with a lady who finds herself in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am a little unclear as to the particulars of the case referred to by the Deputy, however, it is important to note a number of key points. Firstly, let me set out the current legislation as it pertains to annual leave.  The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out the key parameters for the taking of annual leave and payment for same.  The times at which annual leave is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1057, 1084, 1085 and 1092 together. The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as a time-limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The conditions for receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are that a person must be of working age between 18...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: My sincere thoughts are with all employers and employees faced with the prospect of forced restructuring and redundancies at this difficult time.  Many sectors and industries have been badly affected by the measures the Irish Government, like many other governments across the globe, has had to take in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is probably fair to say that sectors...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out the key parameters for the taking of annual leave and payment for same. Under Section 19 of the Act, an employee acquires an entitlement to 4 weeks’ annual leave if he or she works at least 1,365 hours in a leave year, or one-third of a working week for each month in the leave year in which he or she works at least 117 hours, or 8 per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1060 and 1153 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Company Closures (3 Jun 2020)

Regina Doherty: To date my Department has not yet received formal notification of the closure of or proposed redundancies by the Henderson Group or BD Foods, Glaslough, Co Monaghan. However, on 22 May 2020, the local Intreo team heard news of an impending closure and immediately made contact with the Managing Director for an update. Having confirmed the company’s intentions, the local management team...