Results 2,181-2,200 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: State Pension (Contributory) Applications (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 4 October 2019 and was awarded maximum rate of pension with effect from 7 November 2019, their 66th birthday. They were notified of this decision on 16 October 2019. The person applied for the Increase for a qualified adult and fuel allowance with their pension. As these payments are means-tested, additional information...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned made an application for rent supplement on 18/10/19. My Department advised the person concerned on 24/10/19 that as she resides in a HAP designated area, she must in the first instance make a request for a Housing Needs Assessment with her local authority and also an application for Social Housing Support (including HAP). The person concerned was also advised of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: On 18/11/19 my Department awarded the person concerned an Exceptional Needs Payment of €250. This payment was awarded to meet a need for home heating. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Chairman and members for the invitation to attend this morning to discuss the public services card, PSC. I am looking forward to the questions of committee members on what is a very important topic. Before discussing the public services card, it might be useful to give a brief overview of the history of the card, the background to the recent report by the Data Protection...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: If I miss any of the 27 questions put to me, I appreciate that they were asked one at a time, I hope Deputy O'Dea will remind me. The advice we took came from our in-house legal team and the Office of the Attorney General, in which there are many legal minds. The Office of the Attorney General also took third-party advice. As a former Minister, Deputy O'Dea will be well aware of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Stop.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: In case the Deputy is not aware of it, there are two investigations that have been commenced by the Data Protection Commission with regard to the PSC. The first investigation had three modules, of which two have been reported upon; the resulting report came from the Data Protection Commission on 15 August. The third module in the first investigation is still outstanding. I am not aware...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: They definitely did get legal advice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am suggesting that the Deputy might query exactly what legal advice was sought. The Minister definitely did not receive any legal advice on the legal status or basis for requiring people when using mygov.ieto have a PSC. I truly believe that challenging the Data Protection Commissioner is okay. I am not sure if the Deputy was here when the House passed the legislation relating to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: The question was asked of how far the Government will go to defend successive Governments' policies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: We will go as far as it takes to vindicate the position. We believe we have both the legal right and authority to do exactly what we have been doing since the first PSC was issued in 2011. It is probably standard practice for most Departments to have in-house legal advisers. We have two and both are barristers who have been seconded from the Attorney General's office. They reside in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Before I answer the specific questions, the Deputy made a statement that some people believe that this is a national identity card introduction by the back door.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Many people have sought under freedom of information, FOI, legislation all of the documentation regarding meetings of interdepartmental groups right back as far as 1996. At no stage was there ever any indication or action arising from the thought process that there would be any legislation passed or anything to give anybody the impression that this was a national identity card by the side...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I do not think so. I would need to check that with the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am not 100% sure. I would have to check with the relevant Minister. It is the relevant Minister's responsibility, not mine, to introduce his or her own schemes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: To be honest, there has been some criticism as to why it took us as long to respond to the original findings on 15 August. There was some flurry of activity around 15 August and I think people expected us to either comply within two days or to respond within a number of days. The issues here are complex and the legislation has been amended many times. The Chairman will be aware that with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I can arrange an appointment for the Deputy if she would like.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: Of course the Deputy can, and she always could. It is not true that we mandated that people had to go down a single tunnel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (21 Nov 2019)

Regina Doherty: I do not know whether the Senator is aware that some challenges were made to the Ombudsman's office last year regarding decisions made on appeal for a variety of scheme applicants. The Ombudsman's office overruled decisions that had been made on appeal by our deciding officers because we did not have the relevant supporting documentation for those decisions. We were instructed that if we...