Results 2,661-2,680 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: The allocation for the Rural Social Scheme in 2020 is €54m, as published in the 2020 Budget Estimates on Budget Day.  The allocation for the Farm Assist Scheme in 2020 is €61m, as published in the 2020 Budget Estimates on Budget Day.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Notwithstanding the very positive and consistent developments in the labour market, there is an ongoing need to target activation interventions at those who are distant from the labour market. Recent research from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service found that women represented the majority of inactive working age adults, despite the fact that the number of females in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (16 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am currently engaging with representatives of Community Employment supervisors to discuss issues arising following the 2008 Labour Court Recommendation.  All parties to this process have agreed that the detail of the discussions should remain confidential while the engagement is ongoing.  I would ask Deputies to respect these wishes and allow the talks to continue free...

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

Regina Doherty: The sadness surrounding the bereavement of a loved one can be further compounded by the financial worries that some families can endure at this time.  A report by Senator Mary Louise O’Donnell “Finite Lives - An examination of State Services in Ireland” (Part 2 of which was published in 2017), set out recommendations for a whole of Government approach to...

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

Regina Doherty: As part of Budget Measures 2020, I announced that those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Carer’s Support Grant could increase the number of hours they can work, study or attend a training course outside the home from 15 to 18.5 hours.  Over 1,200 family carers are expected to benefit from this change at a cost of €11.6...

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

Regina Doherty: For contributory schemes based on the claimant's social insurance record (such as State Pension Contributory), an increase for a Qualified Adult is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the spouse/partner is €100 a week or less.  Reduced rates are payable where the means are over €100 and less than €310 per week.  No increase is...

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

Regina Doherty: Parent’s Benefit is a new scheme which will provide two weeks paid leave to both parents, who are on parent's leave from work and covered by social insurance.  It will be available for the first year of a child’s life and will be paid at the same rate as that for maternity or paternity leave.  This leave will be available to parents of children born or placed with...

Living Wage: Motion [Private Members] (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is thanks to Fianna Fáil. The Deputy should not even go there.

Living Wage: Motion [Private Members] (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I move amendment No. 4:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann:” and substitute the following: “recognises that: — for 2020, the Low Pay Commission made its recommendations on the basis of current economic data and the assumption of an orderly transition for the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and recommended that the rate of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Gateway Initiative was introduced in 2013 at a time of high unemployment in Ireland, with a target of 3,000 working opportunities. The aim of Gateway was to improve the employability and work readiness of participants by providing them with the opportunities to put their work skills into practice and to learn new skills to enable them to progress to work, further education or other...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (15 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 expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment under this scheme.  Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff numbers. The following tables detail the information requested. The first details the number of permanent full-time staff recruited through open competitions organised by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 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. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. CA is payable for up to two care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 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 5 July 2019.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was awarded the Household Benefit Package in May 2013.  Following a review of the person’s continuing entitlement to Household Benefit in 2018, it was found that the person concerned resides with their brother who was in receipt of Illness Benefit.  Under existing scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 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. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers.  It replaced the former smallholders’ unemployment assistance payment.  In line with the then existing arrangements for unemployment assistance (including smallholders) and pre-retirement allowance, the income of farm assist recipients was exempt from class S PRSI for self-employed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  When these papers have been received from the Department the case in question will be referred to an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 619 together. I am currently engaging with representatives of Community Employment supervisors to discuss issues arising following the 2008 Labour Court Recommendation.  All parties to this process have agreed that the detail of the discussions should remain confidential while the engagement is ongoing.  I would ask Deputies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance 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. An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 13 February 2019. The deciding officer requested financial documentation by way of letter on 24 April...