Results 1,981-2,000 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am on record as stating very clearly that I am committed to tackling the issue of false self-employment. The deliberate mis-classification of a worker as a self-employed contractor, in a situation where they are actually working as an employee, is wrong.  I am progressing a number of initiatives to combat this. The existing Code of Practice is being revised to bring it up-to-date...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Periodically, the Revenue Protection and Prosecutions Manager in Irish Rail submits a written request to my Department to ascertain whether a customer’s (details provided by Irish Rail) entitlement to Free Travel is valid or revoked and if revoked, from what date.  These written requests are made under section 132 of the Railway Safety Act 2005, as amended...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The JobPath employment service commenced in 2015 and, under the terms of the contracts signed with the providers, was to run for at least six years comprising two consecutive phases: phase one entailed four years of client referrals, while phase two entailed a ‘run off’ period during which time no additional clients were to be referred.  The contract includes an option to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Measurement of unemployment is solely the remit of the CSO, and the CSO’s Labour Force Survey is the official measurement of unemployment in the state.  Neither the Live Register nor the so-called "unemployment blackspots" can be used to measure unemployment in the state.   The concept of “unemployment blackspots” was developed by the CSO following the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Tús provides work placements for a twelve month period for those who are on the Live Register for a year or more.  The initiative helps break the cycle of long-term unemployment by providing a work routine and valuable work experience.  It is a positive initiative that enables people who are long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all of its customers.  This includes ensuring that requests for reviews of decisions on social welfare  claims are processed as soon as possible, and that the outcomes are notified promptly.  At all times, every effort is made to complete the reviews as efficiently as possible.  Measures to improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Public Services Card (PSC) was provided for in legislation in 1998 when it was introduced alongside the PPS Number to replace the previous Revenue and Social Insurance Number and the Social Services Card.  It acts as an identifier for access to a broad range of public services.  Successive Governments have since reaffirmed this policy both in Government decisions and through...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 76 together. Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of full-time care.  As of end of October 2019, there were 83,085 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department examines the impact of potential policy measures on income and poverty rates, as well as employment incentives, on an ongoing basis.  These measures include changing how income is treated in means assessments, and the level of income thresholds and disregards.  Analyses often involve carrying out a social impact assessment which estimates the likely...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria.  Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: At the end of October there were 135,240 persons in receipt of a jobseeker's allowance payment from my Department, of this number 47,615 were in receipt of the payment on a short-term basis i.e. less than 1 year and the remaining 87,625 were long-term recipients i.e. greater than 1 year.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Inclusion Strategy (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The new Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 will include data from the 2018 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), which was released by the CSO on 28 November, with any necessary adjustments made to the targets.  The new social inclusion strategy "Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2019-2025", is being finalised and I expect that it will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension Eligibility (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Widow’s, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner’s pension is paid to the husband, wife or surviving civil partner of a deceased person and is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or on that of the deceased spouse or civil partner, provided the applicant is not cohabiting.  The legal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Consultation Process (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The consultation process for the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System comprised of written submissions, consultation seminars, an online survey and focus groups. Four regional consultation seminars were held in Dublin (2), Cork and Galway. As part of the consultation phase of the development of Pathways to Work 2020 - 2024 , five regional consultation workshops took place, hosted...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid, as of end-October 2019 to over 635,500 families in respect of over 1.2 million children,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Increase for qualified adult is a means tested payment, based on the means of the qualified adult. Following a recent means review, the qualified adult increase was stopped. Based on updated information, the means of the qualified adult were reviewed and the person concerned now qualifies for a reduced payment. Notification of this decision issued to the person concerned on 2 December...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 233 together. The reduced age related rates of payment for younger jobseeker’s allowance and supplementary welfare allowance recipients were introduced on a phased basis to protect them from welfare dependency by providing them with a strong financial incentive to participate in education or training to improve their chances of obtaining...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together. The Terms of Employment (Information) Act, 1994 provides that an employer must provide his/her employee with a written statement of the particulars of the employee’s terms of employment. It also provides that an employer must notify the employee of any changes in the particulars as given in the statement. The Act provides a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. The number of recipients of each social welfare payment or support at the end of October 2019. Type of Payment Recipients State Pension (Non-Contributory) 94,799 State Pension (Contributory) 428,576 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Process (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 is the only Bill in my Department which is awaiting Committee Stage. Second Stage in the Dáil was on 14th July 2017.