Results 1,841-1,860 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Seanad: Report on Dying, Death and Bereavement: Statements (4 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The idea of the State, and the money that we have to spend in the State, is to provide people with a certain standard of living in their vulnerable or old years. That work should not be as complex as people make it out to be. We must consider how much money the Social Insurance Fund will yield over the next couple of years. We must recognise that far more people will reach pension age than...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: We are currently conducting a review of the social insurance fund and hope to have that information by the third quarter of this year to feed into a change of the model. The Deputy is right that there are obviously women of a particular age who are coming to retirement age now who are not included in that homemaker's scheme and are obviously losing out on a considerable amount of money every...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am not sure if Deputy Fleming was here but Deputy Bríd Smith brought up exactly the same question a few minutes ago. Unfortunately, the answer is exactly the same. We are waiting on an actuarial review on the Social Insurance Fund that will come back to us probably by quarter three. The model we hope to move to is a total contributions model. We will be moving towards it as quickly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: PRSI credited contributions (“credits”) are an integral part of the social insurance system. For the most part they are linked to having an underlying entitlement to a social welfare payment while temporarily detached from the labour force or having entitlement to statutory leave e.g. parental or maternity leave. The primary purpose of PRSI credits is to secure social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a statutory, means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. Social welfare relevant legislation provides for the continuation of payment of the allowance for up to thirteen weeks in the event that the person being cared for or the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (5 Jul 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. While with JobPath, customers are assigned to a personal advisor who will assess their skills, experience, challenges and work goals and agree a personal progression plan. They are provided with a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I wish to advise the Deputy that the person concerned was not refused an exceptional needs payment in respect of special equipment for a child with cerebral palsy. An application for an Exceptional Needs Payment was made on 29 June 2017 and a decision is expected to be taken this week, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I trust that this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (5 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the Community Services Programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a socially inclusive nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services. In May 2017, my Department announced a call for proposals under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Equality (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Section 7 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides for a review of the Act to commence within 2 years of enactment of the legislation. Officials in my Department are currently making preparations for the review which is due to commence in September. While the terms of reference and the composition of the review group have yet to be finalised, I would like to assure you that the views of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together. The Deputy may wish to note that the self-employed PRSI contributors will be eligible to qualify for the Invalidity Pension scheme with effect from December next. This is a major reform as self-employed people will now have access to the safety-net of State income supports, without having to go through a means test, if they become...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Notification was received from the Revenue Commissioners on 3 March indicating that the person concerned had commenced employment. As is normal in such cases the Department contacted the customer to establish the circumstances and correspondence commenced. Following receipt of the customer’s correspondence on 12 and 21 March 2017 an official in the Department contacted them by phone...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Rent Supplement claim for the person concerned was disallowed as she failed to provide documentation that would allow an accurate assessment of her entitlement. The person concerned has appealed this decision and her case has been referred to the Appeals Office accordingly. An Appeals Officer will make a decision on the case based on the documentary evidence presented and/or arising...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned does satisfy the contribution requirements to qualify for jobseeker’s benefit, albeit at a reduced rate with reference to level of remuneration they received in their last employment. Taking this into account the department has sought to ascertain, given the person’s circumstances, which payment would be more advantageous to the customer to receive,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The jobseekers allowance application of the person concerned was disallowed due to the failure to disclose information regarding means to the department and not due to her homelessness. Their homelessness is as a result of the enforcement of an Order for Ejectment by the Sheriff’s Office of the local District Court due to significant rent arrears being owed to their landlord by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has been requested to submit to the Department documentation confirming any change in her circumstances and details of her current weekly income in order to determine her ongoing eligibility to Rent Supplement. On receipt of this documentation her entitlement to Rent Supplement, to include any arrears due, can be assessed accordingly. I trust this clarifies the matter...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has not, as of yet, made an application for payment to the department, and therefore it is not possible to determine their entitlement to jobseekers allowance or any alternative payment. If they wish to make an application for payment they must submit the completed relevant application forms to the department to enable a determination of their eligibility to be made. ...

Order of Business (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Thursday.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 768 together. As the Deputy will be aware, 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 is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. The JobPath service commenced operations in mid-2015...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Data (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Maternity benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions on their own insurance record.The benefit is payable for 26 weeks at a rate of €235 per week with possible increases for adult and child dependents. An online claim facility provides customers with a convenient and effective method of submitting a maternity...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Paternity benefit is paid for 2 weeks to employed and self-employed fathers who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. The benefit is payable at a rate of €235 per week with possible increases for adult and child dependents. The purpose of the benefit is to support new fathers to take time off work within the first 26 weeks following the birth of their child. Application for...