Results 3,081-3,100 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1764, 1765, 1768, 1771 and 1841 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 953,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1769, 1824, 1825, 1831, 1840, 1897 and 1898 together. My colleague, Paschal Donohue T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and I briefed Government earlier this week on the recent report of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) on the Public Services Card (PSC). We acknowledged the finding of the DPC that the PSC is validly required for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Low Pay Commission was established in 2015 through the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. Its principal function is, once each year, to examine the national minimum hourly rate of pay and to make a recommendation to the Minister regarding the rate, ensuring that all decisions are evidence-based, fair and sustainable, and do not create significant adverse consequences for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was originally registered in that office on 23 August 2018 and was disallowed by an Appeals Officer on 24 January 2019. After receiving additional documentation from the person concerned by way of representations from the Deputy the appeal decision is now under review. After consideration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant must have a qualified child and be engaged in full-time paid employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. Under Social Welfare Legislation, a qualified child is defined as a child under 18...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: According to the records available to my Department, there were 419,451 state pension (contributory) claimants as at 30 June 2019. Of these, 233,077 claimants receive maximum rate of pension. Under social welfare legislation, there are a number of ways to qualify for a state pension (contributory). With effect from 30 March 2018, pension entitlement of those born on or after 1 September...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1777 and 1778 together. A new operating model which seeks to make best use of resources by balancing workloads across the Intreo network is currently being introduced. This does not represent a downgrading of Intreo Centres. The new model utilises recent ICT developments implemented in Intreo Centres – collectively known as the digital claim - which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Under Government guidelines I am permitted to appoint a maximum of two Special Advisors. Their annual salary is set out in the following table. Name Role Annual Salary Name Role Annual Salary Denise Duffy Special Advisor to the Minister €94,487 Alex Connolly Special Advisor to the Minister €110,074* *Mr. Connolly is on secondment from Fáilte Ireland for the duration of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The estimated annual cost that would incur in restoring the full rate of child benefit to age 19 is €99,503,040. This estimate is based on 59,228 recipients (derived from my Department's statistics on child benefit recipients). This costing represents the upper limit of what may be required. If the child benefit was restored to €70 (half the full rate) the costing is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €248 million this year on HHB for over 448,000 customers. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Since late September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of over 90,000 pensioners, born on or after 1 September 1946, who have a reduced rate State pension contributory entitlement based on post Budget 2012 rate-bands.  These payments are being reviewed under a new Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pension calculation which includes provision for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 May 2019. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments, by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer, on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection These papers have been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The current arrangements for the means testing of the increase for a qualified adult payment as part of the State pension (contributory) were introduced in section 15 of the Social Welfare Act 1995. The first regulations implementing these arrangements were subsequently introduced in March 1996. The rate of the increase for a qualified adult depends on various factors including weekly income,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1786, 1795, 1797 and 1895 together. Rent supplement plays a vital role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting approximately 18,800 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019. The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Entitlement to treatment benefit is based on having paid PRSI contributions, with customers required to have a certain number of PRSI contributions paid or credited in order to qualify. The number of contributions required varies with age, to take account of the capacity of the person concerned to have paid the required contributions. For example, a customer aged 20 needs a total of 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on the 1st August 2019. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments of 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment. It helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. CE participants between 21 and 55 years are entitled to one year on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on the 18th July 2019. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments of 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was in receipt of Illness Benefit from the 15th June 2011 to the 2nd July 2011. A cheque issued to her on the 5th July 2011 for €626.70 paying her for the full period of her claim. The person concerned contacted the Department in 2011 to inform officials that the cheque had been mislaid. A replacement cheque issued to her on the 23rd August 2011. The cheque the...