Results 3,021-3,040 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Rates (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Increasing the entry threshold for PRSI Class A from €38 to €100 would cost an estimated €11.8m in a full year and affect approximately 109,600 employments. This estimate is based on PRSI Class A contributions. It uses the latest available data and reflects macro-economic indicators for 2020. It should be noted that this estimate does not take into account any...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (19 Sep 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. You may be entitled to credited social insurance contributions (PRSI) while you are getting CA. The Treatment Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Leave (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 238 together. Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks at a rate of €245 per week. The 2019 Estimates for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provide for expenditure of approximately €256 million on Maternity Benefit. The estimated additional cost of extending the duration of maternity benefit is approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: In Budget 2019 I announced the introduction of a new social insurance based parent’s benefit scheme to take effect in late 2019. The Department of Justice and Equality has policy responsibility for the new parent’s leave and my Department is responsible for the associated parent's benefit. The new scheme will provide two weeks leave to both parents, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed to establish an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) to explore how social inclusion schemes might best be organised into the future including which Department should hold lead responsibility for sponsoring CE schemes focused on social Inclusion, the Rural Social Scheme and the Job Initiative scheme.  Meetings of the IDG have taken place...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Sep 2019)

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

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Data (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I meet with my officials, on an on-going basis, to discuss all matters relating to my Department, including the Public Services Card (PSC). The Client Identity Services Unit of the Department has policy and operational responsibility for public service identity issues, including the PSC.  That area is structured in a similar fashion to areas in all Government Departments,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together. Civil servants taking up new employment following retirement or resignation from my Department are regulated under Section 20 of The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.  This states that any civil servant intending to be engaged in or connected with (i) any outside business with which he or she had official dealings or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: It is understood that the pensioner in question fell seriously ill while visiting her daughter who is residing in Ireland and that she now requires full-time care and attention.  Her daughter, who is providing full-time care and attention, initially qualified for Carer’s Benefit in June 2017 and following completion of the period of entitlement to that benefit, has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Eligibility (19 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (formerly Family Income Supplement) is a weekly tax free payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. Working Family Payment for the person concerned will continue in payment until the  9 October 2019, when working family payment is due for renewal. A renewal form issued to the person concerned on 31 July 2019. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 Sep 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. Two carers who are providing care on a part-time basis in an established pattern can also share a single CA payment and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 208 to 212, inclusive, together. The issue of family maintenance payments is first and foremost a private matter for the people concerned. Where a one parent family payment (OFP) is awarded, the Department seeks to trace the other parent, referred to as the liable relative, in order to ascertain whether he or she is in a financial position to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided on 7 February 2019 to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision and award Invalidity Pension from 2 September 2018.  Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based 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.  It is payable for a maximum of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. The Deputy states that the person concerned recently applied for carers and was refused on the grounds that her last stamp...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Family Law Acts place a legal obligation on parents to maintain their children.  In cases where the family unit has broken down these obligations continue to apply.  Relevant maintenance payments can be arranged either directly between the parties themselves, or with the assistance of supports from the Department of Justice and Equality, such as the Family Mediation Service and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The issues relating to maintenance are currently a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has responsibility for the Family Law Acts, which govern maintenance requirements.   Existing Family Law Acts place a legal obligation on parents to maintain their children.  In cases where the family unit has broken down these obligations...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Data (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner.  As at month-end July 2019 there are 39,606 families with 65,711 children in receipt of the OFP.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Data (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children relative to their family size.WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. There are currently 52,074 persons (families) in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Blind Person's Pension Data (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The number of persons in receipt of Blind Pension for Limerick city and county is currently 47.  I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (18 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The uptake of grants towards the purchase of hearing aids under the Departments Treatment benefit scheme has seen a 100% increase over the last 10 years, with almost €80m spent on the scheme over that period. Access to hearing aids is provided for under the Departments PRSI scheme and the HSE parallel scheme, which provides medical card holders with access to free hearing aids. ...