Results 3,101-3,120 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: The introduction of a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing the level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims was signalled by the then Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010. At that time it set a target date of 2020 for the implementation of TCA. More recently, the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023 targeted implementation of the TCA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 17 June 2019. The application is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 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. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. The person concerned is in receipt...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Review (6 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. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (6 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 including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 19 July 2019. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1805 and 1847 together. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21 June 2019. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments of (or on behalf of) the Deciding Officer on the grounds of the appeal be sought from the Department of...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1808 to 1810, inclusive, together. Overpayments of social welfare assistance and benefit payments arise as a consequence of decisions made under the relevant sections of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended). Where an overpayment is raised, the Department is obligated to make every effort to recover sums overpaid. At the end of July 2019,...

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

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the applicant must be providing full-time care and attention to a person requiring that level of care. Under the provisions of the legislation a person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (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 31st May 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: Departmental Expenditure (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: The amount expended on Lotus Notes licences by my Department from 2009 to 2019 and the projected expenditure for the subsequent five years is outlined in the table below. Year Expenditure 2009 €58,399.73 2010 €25,524.13 2011 €14,532.10 2012 €12,523.45 2013 €18,901.64 2014 €5,337.59 2015 €6,213.35 2016 €6,751.10 2017...

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

Regina Doherty: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a...

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

Regina Doherty: Deserted Wife's Allowance is a means tested payment made to women under the age of 66 years who have no dependent children, who were deserted by their husband and who do not qualify for Deserted Wife's Benefit. This person was in receipt of Deserted Wife’s Allowance from 30/6/1988 to 1/12/1990. The person was paid One Parent Family Payment from 6/12/1990 to 24/6/2009. The person is...

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

Regina Doherty: The Rent supplement claim of the person concerned in this case was disallowed and a decision letter issued accordingly on 13/2/17 as they had failed to provide necessary supporting documentation required to provide for an accurate assessment of entitlement. The person concerned appealed the decision. The appeal was disallowed by an independent Review Officer on 21/3/18 as the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (6 Sep 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that my Department has been unable to facilitate an answer to the Deputy's question in the absence of a PPS number. The Department contacted the Deputy who attempted to get a PPS number but was unable to provide it in the time available. It is open to the Deputy to contact my Department when a PPS number is available for reference. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 19 June 2019. The application is currently being processed...

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

Regina Doherty: Under the treatment benefit scheme, PRSI contributors with the required number of paid or credited contributions and their dependent spouses can avail of free eye examinations and the provision and repair of spectacles. There is currently no provision under the scheme to cover any cost associated with cataract surgery or any of the associated procedures referred to in the Deputy's question. I...

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

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid, as of end-July 2019 to almost 630,000 families in respect of nearly 1.2 million children,...

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

Regina Doherty: A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020. In January 2018, I announced the Government Decision to introduce a new interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to the calculation...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1828 and 1829 together. The farm assist (FA) scheme is a means-tested payment for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker's allowance (JA). To qualify for the scheme a person must satisfy the means test and be engaged in farming. Recipients retain the advantages of the JA scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1830 and 1832 together. In July 2018, I published the Report of the Group Established to Review the Operation of the Gender Recognition Act 2015. The recommendations in the report of the Review Group involve issues that are complex and it has been necessary to take some time to take advice and consider them in detail. That said, a number of...