Results 1,801-1,820 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bullying in the Workplace (29 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Dignity at Work policy is the anti-bullying, harassment and sexual harassment policy for the Irish Civil Service. This policy came into effect on 20 February 2015 and replaced the previous policy, ‘A Positive Working Environment’. State bodies and agencies under the aegis of this Department have similar policies in place. The Dignity at Work policy sets out the...

Order of Business (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: We are proposing to bring the legislation to Cabinet in the morning and then it will be published. I have requested through the Whip's office that we schedule Second Stage at the earliest convenient time. Obviously, we will not have Committee Stage if we have not had Second Stage, but I expect-----

Order of Business (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: -----with the help of Deputy O'Dea and all the other parties in the House, that we might conclude all Stages before we recess for the summer. We certainly will be taking Second Stage.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 April 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to 1,460 schools and organisations benefiting over 200,000 children at a total cost of some €47.5 million in 2017. As part of Budget 2017, the funding for the scheme was substantially increased this year by an additional €5.5 million (13% over the previous year’s allocation) which will benefit over...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Data (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The statistics the Deputy has requested are not readily available. The data are being assembled and will be sent to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has not submitted an application for income support. If the person concerned is not currently fit to resume work, he should contact his doctor to obtain the MC1 and MC2 forms, for submission to the Illness Benefit section of the Department. Should he not have sufficient means to meets his needs in the interim, he should...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance Administration (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 577 together. Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. The Government has provided €4.6 million for the scheme in 2017. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme Applications (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The homemaker’s scheme was introduced on 6 April 1994 and provides that a period of up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) can be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes; subject to the standard qualifying conditions for state pension (contributory) also...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 10 August 2015 in respect of his wife who is his care recipient. The application was awarded on 10 March with effect from 13 August 2015 and the first payment issued to his nominated post office on 7 April 2016. The person concerned was notified on 10 March 2016 of this decision, the reason for it...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 February 2017 in respect of her care recipient aged 10 years. It is a condition for receipt of carer’s allowance, that where the care recipient is aged less than 16 years of age, a domiciliary care allowance (DCA) must be in payment in respect of that child. An...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,460 schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of some €47.5 million in 2017. The funding for the scheme was increased this year, as part of Budget 2017, by an additional €5.5 million (13% over the previous year’s allocation) which will benefit over 50,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I have recently received the report of the Joint Committee on Social Protection on the position of lone parents in Ireland. I would like to thank the Committee for their work on this issue which I know included discussions with a wide range of stakeholder groups and officials from this Department. I have no doubt it will make a valuable contribution to the policy on this issue. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Qualified Child Increase Payments (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Increases for a Qualified Child (IQCs) are paid as child-related supplements to most weekly social welfare payments in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. The current full rate of payment is €29.80 per week per dependent child. The estimated expenditure on qualified child increase in 2017 is around €471...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. The estimated expenditure on FIS in 2017 is approximately €422 million and it is currently paid to almost...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Training Support Grant (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments - Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance - that are conditional on the recipient being actively...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned submitted an unsigned Supplementary Welfare Allowance application form to the Department and as this is not a complete application it was returned to the customer on 23 May 2017 with a request for the applicant to sign it and return it to the Department. To date a completed application form has not been received from the person concerned and as such the Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: An Exceptional Needs Payment in respect of funeral expenses, which issued on 18 April 2017, was paid to the person concerned and was not paid to an agent. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: There is no statutory retirement age in the State, and the age at which employees retire is a matter for the contract of employment between them and their employers. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the standardising of State pension age for all at 66 years and the cessation...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that two appeals by the person concerned were registered in that office on 12 June 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the deciding officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the cases in question will be...