Results 2,641-2,660 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (17 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The objective of the back to education allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system.  The allowance enables social welfare customers in receipt of certain payments to pursue full-time education courses and to continue to receive income support in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (17 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based 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 as a result they require that level of care. The person concerned applied for CARB for her mother on the 27 May 2019. Carers Leave was granted by her employer from 22 August 2019 to 7 June 2020. CARB has...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment. The conditionality is not the same. The reason the section states "For the purposes of this Chapter" is because the conditionality to access jobseeker's benefit for the self-employed is slightly different from that for the employed. We tried to mirror it as closely as possible. The number of contributions are different.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is why the line is in the section not once but 18 times. It is to emphasise that for the purposes of the new chapter 12(a), the conditions are different from the preceding chapters that govern jobseeker's benefit for the employed. It seems like they are only words, but there are different conditions.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I genuinely appreciate the divergence between the requirements for employed contributions paid at 39 class A contributions in the governing year, while we propose that there are 52 class S contributions for the same type of access to the scheme. The divergence simply reflects how self-employed people pay their PRSI contributions. We will never find anybody with a PRSI contribution of 39...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I appreciate what the Deputy is saying, but they are not the same. We would be having a different conversation if amendment No. 3 had not been ruled out of order. This is not more onerous, given that the self-employed can only make zero or 52 contributions. I hear what the Deputy is saying.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would be surprised if the Deputy was not concerned.

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Who knew we all had so much in common?

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will respond to the two questions were asked. I assure Deputy Brady that the activation offering available to jobseekers who were self-employed is exactly the same as what is on offer to those who were employed. I also assure him that the Department follows up overpayments and underpayments in the exact same vigorous manner. He would probably use different language. When the Department...

Social Welfare Bill 2019: Financial Resolution (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I move:THAT the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution to provide for the deeming of amounts to be paid on foot of jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) under the Social Welfare Acts to be deemed to be earned income for the purpose of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and subject to...

Social Welfare Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am genuinely really pleased to have an opportunity to introduce this Bill to the Dáil today. I express my sincere appreciation to everybody, not just those on all sides of this House but in the Seanad too, for agreeing to deal with All Stages of the Bill today, as was the case in the Seanad last week. The purpose of this Bill is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 25 March 2019. The application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I was pleased to announce last week that the Christmas Bonus will be paid again this year at a rate of 100% in early December. Illness benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria).  Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: An application for Household Benefits was received from the person concerned on 9 October 2019.  A request for further information issued to the claimant on 11 October 2019.  Upon receipt of the required information, a decision will be made on the person's entitlement and the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome.   I hope...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Data (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) provides people with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment.  It enables eligible people to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions.  The BTEA is not intended to provide a basis...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together. A new operating model which seeks to make best use of resources by balancing workloads across the Intreo network is currently being introduced. The new model utilises recent ICT developments implemented in Intreo Centres – collectively known as the digital claim - which have removed the location constraints of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 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. Where a care recipient dies, there is a continued payment of carer's allowance for 12 weeks after the death.  However, the department informs me that there is no application by the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Applications (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs.  The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons.  The fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2020 (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 259 together. The issue of extending additional social insurance benefits to the self-employed paying class S PRSI was considered in the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) as at 31 December, 2015, which was published on 18 October 2017.  The review, required by legislation, was carried out by independent consultants, KPMG. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is my intention that the new scheme of jobseeker'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. The...