Results 4,701-4,720 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would value it if the Deputy made that submission to the interdepartmental group to allow it to do that. There are three or four items on the list. I am not sure the Department is the natural home of the RSS. It did not start in our Department but was brought from the Department with responsibility for rural affairs when a particular Minister came to this Department because that Minister...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: First, the reason we needed to employ private contractors is that there were more than 450,000 people unemployed in 2008, in case the Deputy has forgotten. Seetec, Turas Nua and JobPath have nothing to do with CE and will not have anything to do with it in the future.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, payment issues had arisen in the scheme last year when my Department transferred administration of the illness benefit scheme from an old legacy IT payments system to its core business IT platform. Since then, my Department has been working hard to resolve these issues and to ensure that claims are processed and paid promptly.  We have made good progress...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that discussions with GP representatives on a move from paper to e-certification concluded successfully weeks ago. I expect e-certification to be introduced with GP co-operation later this year, which will improve services for clients and GPs significantly. The relationship between the Department and GPs is at an all-time high. If there are particular GPs in Bray or the Deputy's...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: We have approximately 90 applications per week which feature some error or difficulty in the interaction out of 50,000.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: That is exactly within the norms we have always had.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy's definition of "unmitigated disaster" and the reality of the incredibly hard-working people providing the illness benefit service in my Department are poles apart. I have told the Deputy that we are taking in more than 50,000 certificates every week. If even 1% of those people have a difficulty, the Deputy will focus his attention there, rather than on the 99% success rate on...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I note to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle again that we have had a rough couple of months for staff and for those who receive payments since the changes last August.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The people in my Department, including the extra staff who have been deployed and in particular those who have been there all day every day for 15 years-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: -----have worked incredibly hard-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illness Benefit Payments (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: -----to make inroads into solving this problem. They have done an incredible job.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Government agreed that the compulsory retirement age of most public servants recruited before 1 April 2004 should be increased to 70 and that such additional service would continue to accrue retirement benefits, subject to the maximum of 40 years' service. This was provided for in the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018, which passed in the House just before...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: With some 900 schemes, community employment is the largest employment programme administered by my Department. It aims to enhance employability and mobility by providing work experience and training opportunities for unemployed persons within their communities. They do this superbly. Community employment also helps long-term unemployed persons to re-enter the active...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I shall break my reply into two based on what the Deputy asked. The interdepartmental group is going to have its first meeting next week. Ms Simonetta Ryan has agreed to chair the group and we will have a number of meetings in the next few weeks. I will have recommendations arising from the meetings and the consultation with host CE companies. I will bring a memo to the Cabinet before the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will answer the Deputy's last question first. I do not know what the outcome of the interdepartmental review will be. It has not yet started. I know what I want-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: -----but I am doing it interdepartmentally because it is not just up to me to make the decisions.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I would prefer to have two sets of rules. I do not mind who owns the schemes or who funds them, but I do mind that it is not fair on people in communities who need sheltered employment and additional supports to be governed by the same rules as those we use for job activation schemes. It is just not fair and not feasible and I do no think I can stand over it. Whether we keep responsibility...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I will be very quick. I have no choice but to provide for public procurement of Government services. The same will apply to Deputy when he sits here. I have no choice but to do it. I have told our ILDN partners that we will support them in that process and we will.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: They have a future with the activation services in the State. I have assured them in that regard.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (19 Feb 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.