Results 2,541-2,560 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: To answer the Deputy's question, as I noted earlier on, of the ring-fenced €90 million that will be raised through the carbon tax this year, the single biggest investment of €21 million is coming to my Department to try to shield those who are most vulnerable. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has the sole responsibility, with the Minister for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Could I confirm that this gives the Deputy an opportunity to respond to my reply?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Is that okay with the Deputy?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In budget 2020, I announced that recipients of carer's payments would be allowed to increase the number of hours they can work, study or attend a training course, outside the home, from 15 to 18.5 hours per week. Over 1,200 additional family carers are expected to qualify for payment as a result of this change at an estimated cost of €11.6 million. Also, any carer currently...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Front office-back office is a new operating model currently being introduced which seeks to make the best use of our resources by balancing workloads across our Intreo office network. The new model utilises recent ICT developments that have removed the location constraints of the previous paper-based system. Those constraints meant that the majority of claim-related activity had to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Just because the Deputy might not know something about an issue does not mean that we have done something quietly. There has been a full and ongoing consultation with staff and unions during the development, piloting and implementation of the new model. The Fórsa trade union supplied detailed feedback to us for consideration of the pilot evaluation. That feedback was included, in its...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The simple answer to the Deputy's question is "No". To reiterate, the Fórsa trade union was entirely involved in our pilot project. It supplied detailed feedback for consideration during the assessment of the pilot and all of its suggestions and recommendations were taken on board. There were incidents involving the union on two occasions. We engaged intensively with Fórsa and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In budget 2020, we increased the fuel allowance payment by €2 to €24.50 per week. That is an increase of just under 9% and that will increase the annual fuel allowance rate from €630 to €686, which is an increase of €56 for the year. The annual cost of this increase in the fuel allowance is €21 million and that is funded via a ring-fenced allocation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The studies the Taoiseach referred to are the only ones of which I am aware. I refer to the ESRI impact assessments done on the worst affected and the people with the lowest incomes in society. I will check with the Taoiseach to see if he knows something I do not. I state this tongue in cheek, but I cannot really answer the question as to the intentions of future Governments. If Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The public services card was provided for in legislation in 1998 when it was introduced alongside the personal public service, PPS, number to replace the previous revenue and social insurance number, the old RSI number, and the social service card, the old SSC. It acts as an identifier for access to a broad range of services. Successive Governments since have reaffirmed this policy both in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy is correct in saying we have not received an enforcement notice. Therefore it is very difficult to tell the Deputy, with 100% clarity, what we would do until we see that enforcement notice but I can reiterate the legal advice we have, which is numerous, tells us that the legal basis for conducting the safety registration pass, the production of PSC card, the retention of the data...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The intention from the inception of this project, for want of a better word, was never to make accessing public services more difficult. It was always to try to make it more efficient and, in the main, I believe it has done that. I would regret if anybody finds it more difficult to access public services by the use of electronically communicating or using the public services card as an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €57.6 million in 2019. In Budget 2019, I announced that my Department would commence a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing Hot School Meals in 36 primary schools for an estimated 7,200 children.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (23 Oct 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 (RSI) and the Social Service Card (SSC).  The PSC acts as an identifier for access to a broad range of public services. In October 2017, the DPC commenced an investigation into the SAFE/PSC process and delivered...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Minimum Wage (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 60 and 72 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: On Budget Day, I announced measures to support young jobseekers including the abolition of the age-related rate of payment for 25 year olds, from January 2020. I also announced that the increased rate would be available to jobseekers aged 18 to 24 who are living independently and in receipt of State housing supports including rent supplement and the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation includes provision for homecaring periods.  When launching the interim TCA in January 2018, I stated the approach was expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, while raising families or in a caring role. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €57.6 million in 2019 representing an increase of €3.6 million over the previous year.  The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality...