Results 1,701-1,720 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2017 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €2.5 billion. The Department does not collect data on the number of hours a jobseeker works as this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Following the publication of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme – earlier in the year,the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions around participation on Community Employment (CE). The main purpose of these changes is to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Relocation (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I wish to advise the Deputy that where an application is made by a staff member to transfer to another public body the details of this application are held by the receiving public body. The numbers of Department staff seeking such transfers is not therefore readily available. In accordance with protocols agreed centrally between the Civil and Public Services Union and the Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: An Taoiseach, in his previous role as Minister for Social Protection, gave a commitment at Dáil report stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 that he would ask his officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary employment. As a result, my Department is currently undertaking...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to low income households, at an estimated cost of €229 million in 2017. 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 household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons 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 as an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third-level...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA), operated by my Department, is designed to support second-chance education. It enables eligible persons 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 be an alternative form of funding for people entering...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The decision of the Social Welfare Appeals Office is being examined in the Department to determine, among other things, if it has wider application. Once this examination is complete the Department will arrange to implement the necessary changes, if any, to arrangements in respect of other refuges with status.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The estimated additional cost of extending the duration of maternity benefit is approximately €10 million for each extra week. The table below estimates the additional cost of increasing the duration of maternity benefit above its current 26 week duration at the current weekly rate of €235. These estimates are based on the cost for a full year and assume that any increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 which was enacted in July 2016 introduced a new scheme of paternity leave and an associated social welfare payment of paternity benefit from the 1st September 2016. Approximately 12,750 paternity benefit claims have been awarded since the commencement of the scheme in September. This would indicate a take up of around approximately 19,000 in a full...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Creation (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The JobsPlus programme operated by my Department replaced the previous PRSI exemption scheme and incentivises job creation by providing subsidies paid to employers who offer full-time work of over 30 hours per week and spanning at least a 4 day week to targeted jobseekers. In the case of a jobseeker out of the labour market for over 24 months, a subsidy of €10,000 is paid to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service was rolled out on a phased basis over the period mid-2015 to July 2016. To date circa 51,000 jobseekers have commenced their engagement period with Seetec. The figures per year are shown in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Scope insurability section in the Department of Social Protection makes statutory decisions on insurability of employment under the Social Welfare Act. Employers, employees and the self-employed may apply to Scope for an investigation of an employment status and a determination of the correct class of PRSI. Scope decisions are based on all available evidence, including a report from a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Bodies Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The number of permanent staff employed by my Department and its agencies (Pensions Authority and Citizen’s Information Board) by county at 1 June 2017 is set out in the table below: Department of Social Protection Staff Serving by County COUNTY POSTS PEOPLE Carlow 54.70 58 Cavan 48.74 54 Clare 81.88 88 Cork 372.29 401 Donegal 460.60 486 Dublin 2069.60 2204 Galway 180.91 193...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 253, inclusive, together. Reports from members of the public on their suspicions of social welfare fraud or wrongdoing are an important element in my Department’s overall efforts to prevent and detect fraudulent activity. Since the launch of the recent campaign on 18 April last, 4,859 reports have been received from members of the public....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s benefit from the person concerned on 22 May 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 7 February 2017. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer must provide full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. Social welfare legislation defines a person as requiring full time care and attention where...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Websites (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Jobsireland.ie is a free online jobs site that enables employers to post job opportunities and jobseekers to search and apply for these opportunities online. At 20 years old, the original site was showing its age. For example, although it enabled jobseekers to search for job opportunities based on job type and location, it wasn’t possible for employers to search for suitable...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts Data (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The amount spent by my department on outside contract and or third party public relations advice and training in past three years to date in 2017, by year and company engaged, in tabular form is as follows: Year Company Amount € Yearly Total € 2014 Carr Communications 1,150.00 1,150.00 2015 Carr Communications 3,150.00 3,150.00 2016 Public Relations Institute of Ireland...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: State Pensions (21 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words. It is an honour to be in this House. This is my first time here as a senior Minister and I am very privileged to attend. I thank Senator Gallagher for rasing this issue. He is aware that I was only given the brief for my new role a week ago. I am currently being briefed on the entirety of the Department's brief and amalgamating the role of...