Results 2,781-2,800 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Yes. It is the Action Plan for Jobless Households. I can get a copy of it for the Senator.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will withdraw it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: They do not-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I did not know whether I was accepting or rejecting this proposal because I was not sure what it meant. I did not know what a re-entry credit meant when all of the credits somebody accumulates when in receipt of carer's benefit or allowance are on his or her record. They do not become invisible.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is why we introduced the home caring credit for the interim aggregated contributions method of total contribution approach, TCA12, last year, which introduced 15 years of home caring credits which, I assume, will follow through.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I do not understand what the Senator means by a "value".

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Again, I am not sure what Senator Higgins thinks people are missing out on. The home caring credit was introduced purely for the purposes of pension calculations because we all know and recognise how women were penalised for staying at home and rearing their children. Some men were penalised for staying at home and minding elderly relatives. That system has been rectified. Home caring...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I do not think it is not constructive. However, this already exists. The Senator is trying to create something we have already created. The action plan for jobless households will outline exactly what is on offer to a lady in a household who does not currently exist other than as a qualified payment on her husband's social welfare allowance. She does not exist in our social welfare...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am using that as an example. The Senator is trying to tell me they are not available to people who do not exist in the social welfare system.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: That applies to those in full-time education.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: There are myriad opportunities in-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In that case we are talking about something entirely different. The Senator is suggesting that people should be able to leave a job and get a grant to return to full-time education. While that is possible, it would cost an incredible amount of money. Under my watch, over the past number of years we have tried to be as flexible as possible under the relevant statute. If somebody is five or...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: They are not. They get their credits when they apply for their pensions.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: While the back to education allowance payment is administered by my Department, we only act as an agent for the Department of Education and Skills. On the basis that the policy is under the remit of the Minister, Deputy McHugh, my Department is not in a position to undertake a review of the educational options available to people who are on the back to education allowance. We solely act as...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is equally the case with regard to literacy supports because we do not supply them and they come through SOLAS or the ETBs which, again, are under the direction of the Minister for Education and Skills.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would quite happily support this, except I do, probably far too often, find myself sticking my nose into other colleague's Departments, as I did last week with regard to the maintenance agency. What I do not want the Senator to do is to go to the Minister and say, "Regina said we should do this", and for him to get the hump. If the Senator writes to him, I will certainly write to him at...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Making a voluntary contribution is not contributing, so it is not the same thing.While there is an acceptance to allow people to fill in gaps in their history, it is not the same as making a contribution and having an attachment to the labour force for ten, 20, 30 or 40 years. Some, if not most, of the issues Senator Higgins raised in the amendment are addressed in the social protection...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: They are not.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I cannot accept an amendment for something that already exists. The Senator is asking me to do something that already exists. I will read out the existing guidelines. They are guidelines for everybody who makes a personal progression plan. The Senator has a particular issue with some of the Department's contracted services but the guidelines are the same for everybody, whether they are...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I can only say what I said previously, which will be no surprise to the Senators. They are asking me to prepare a report on something that does not fall under my remit. It is a matter for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. He recently launched a strategy to combat energy poverty which acknowledges, inter alia, that one of the best ways to tackle fuel poverty...