Results 2,501-2,520 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) and the Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) schemes seek to improve employment outcomes for persons with disabilities.  However, they operate in different ways and with different qualifying conditions.  In particular, the WSS is a support to employers while the PCB is a support provided to individuals.  The Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is my intention that the new scheme of job-seeker's benefit for the self-employed, which I announced as part of the Budget 2019, will be introduced from November this year.  This scheme will provide a social insurance contribution-based benefit to the self-employed who lose their self-employment and consequently are not engaged in self-employment. As with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection fully recognises the need to support staff and promote disability awareness and has been very proactive in the provision of training and support in this area in recent years, with a very proactive response from staff. The Department supports its staff by offering a suite of disability awareness training, including Mental Health...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Services for People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In addition to providing income supports, the Department has a wide range of schemes in place which have been designed to assist people with disabilities to enter, re-enter or sustain employment.  One of these supports is the Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF).  This fund is comprised of four elements namely: 1. Employee Retention Grant: The purpose of the Employee Retention...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that the Community Welfare Officer (CWO) dealing with this case issued an application form for an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to the person concerned on 16/4/19 which was returned to the Department on 20/5/19.  I understand that the CWO telephoned the person concerned on 20/5/19 to clarify the outstanding documentation necessary to progress her ENP application....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that this customer’s Jobseeker’s Allowance claim was closed on 28th September 2019 when, with her agreement, she commenced on the TÚS Programme on 30th September 2019 for 19.5 hours per week.  She subsequently requested, and was granted, permission to commence a part time course.  As the customer’s chosen course is for 4 hours per week, this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Eligibility (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.  I am advised that the Department has no record of receiving an application for state...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (24 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. The department informs me that there is no application by the person concerned for CA registered.  If the person in question wishes to make an application, she should complete and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: They are all very giddy today.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I can certainly confirm that the proposal issued in the very early days of 2010 by the Fianna Fáil-led Government was a for period of 30 years. What I cannot confirm is Deputy Curran's assumption of what the design will look like because it has not yet been approved by the Cabinet. Therefore, it has not been announced and certainly not sanctioned. Therefore, I respectfully ask the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The TCA in 2012 and 2020 will bear no resemblance to each other. I again ask for the Deputies' patience and indulgence. When I bring the design to the Cabinet and as soon as that meeting is over, the Deputies will know as much as I know today. They should not fall into the trap of making the assumption that it will be exactly the same. The TCA in 2020 will bear no resemblance to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Minimum Wage (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In developing its recommendation on the national minimum wage the Low Pay Commission assesses various economic indicators such as changes in earnings, exchange rates, employment, unemployment, productivity, international minimum wage comparisons, the need for job creation and the likely impact of the national minimum wage changes on levels of employment, the cost of living and national...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In 2016, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment commissioned a review of the level of fuel poverty in Ireland. That study estimated that 28% of households were living in fuel poverty because they spent more than 10% of their income on fuel costs. A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, which utilised the same methodology, was published in June...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will finish my earlier reply. The scheme conditions include only one fuel allowance per household; satisfying a means test; and satisfying the household composition test. We do not have a breakdown of exactly why people are refused, but it is for one of those three reasons. Someone will not receive the payment if he or she does not satisfy the means test or if there is a fuel allowance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Last year, a number of people made applications for fuel allowance who were only a few euro above the threshold. I find it difficult that we stop such people from getting €22.50 a week because they are €2 or €5 a week over the scheme limit. I looked into perhaps knocking that €5 off and giving them €17.50, or finding some other way to address what I felt...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Pension (Contributory) (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 78 together by agreement. The introduction of the total contributions approach, TCA, for establishing the level of entitlement for all new State pension contributory claims was signalled by the then Government in the national pensions framework in 2010. At the time it set a target date of 2020 for implementation of the new TCA approach. More...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service for all of the people receiving payments from us, ensuring applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the qualification criteria. Payments under schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I take on board the Deputy's comments. We report average times, but some cases take considerably longer to process. There are always reasons they take considerably longer. To his credit, the Deputy is one of the people who help with the most number of carer's allowance and disability allowance applications, but he will appreciate that in some cases where information is not readily...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I know exactly what the Deputy is saying, but I am not sure how we could fix it, as we do not categorise claims as they come in on the basis of people's means. They are classified according to the date they come in and dealt with sequentially. I acknowledge that there are people who are financially pressed when they are waiting for an application to be approved. The community welfare...