Results 4,961-4,980 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (30 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: There has been an increase in claims for Illness Benefit in January. This trend reflects the annual increase at this time of year due to seasonal illnesses. The transfer of the administration of the illness benefit scheme to the Department’s core business objects platform in 2018 saw significant difficulties arise for a large number of people following implementation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (30 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department are not involved in any major State infrastructure projects.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (30 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: It appears from our records that no contact has been made by Ms O Connor with our Community Welfare Services. A Supplementary Welfare Allowance Application form has been issued to Ms O Connor on the 28th January 2019 which also outlines the additional documentation required to process a claim on her behalf. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (30 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The over-arching objective of IORP II Directive is to facilitate the development of occupational retirement savings in the EU. Many of the provisions contained within the Directive will support positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector. The Directive provides for a range of new requirements concerning governance, management standards in schemes, safekeeping of assets, the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: As I informed the House last week - I will reconfirm it this week - a convention was agreed between myself and the then Minister, Esther McVey, in April of last year. That convention was subsequently reaffirmed by me and the new Minister, Amber Rudd, when she took over in December. It will be signed later this week. The convention will ensure a double lock in the event of a no-deal Brexit....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Micro Credit Scheme (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Personal Micro Credit Scheme (PMC) provides for small scale loans, ranging from €100 to €2,000 known as It Makes Sense loans, by credit unions to borrowers who have difficulty accessing low cost credit. Currently 111 credit unions, at 272 locations are participating in the scheme. An Post facilitates the repayment of PMC loans for social welfare recipients who receive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was awarded Jobseekers Benefit, a PRSI contribution based payment(JB) on 21-Sep-2018 at a reduced rate of € 88.90 per week. This was based on the contributions paid and the rate of earnings while in employment. He was advised by INTREO staff of his right to apply for a means tested Jobseekers Allowance (JA), payment and made a claim for same effective from the same...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department administers the Illness Benefit scheme to those customers who cannot work because they are sick or ill provided they are covered by the appropriate class of social insurance (PRSI) and satisfy the PRSI conditions. The illness benefit claim from the person concerned has been fully paid up to date. A total of €497.90 of illness benefit arrears issued to his bank account on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Brexit Issues (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Government and the EU remain committed to securing a negotiated Brexit outcome. We have been planning for all Brexit scenarios but in light of uncertainties in London and the Brexit deadline of 29 March, the Government decided at its meeting of 11 December that immediate priority must now be given to preparations for a no deal Brexit and that Government Departments and state agencies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department operates a number of employment support schemes including Community Employment (CE), JI and the RSS. These schemes have a very significant social inclusion focus, are well embedded in our local communities nationally and are generally engaged in significant levels of local service support and delivery. The RSS and JI are considered to be Social Inclusion placements whereas...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The primary purpose of the activation services provided by my Department, including the JobPath service, is to assist and support jobseekers to look for and sustain full time employment. My Department refers long-term job seeking customers to the JobPath service to receive one-to-one intensive and regular engagement with a personal adviser who will assess their skills, experience,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Department has not as yet received a claim from the person concerned for Illness Benefit. However the person concerned would appear to have the necessary PRSI contributions for Illness Benefit if she is making a claim from the 31st December 2018. She would qualify at a rate of €198 per week. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was in receipt of Occupation Injury Benefit from the 19th April 2018 to the 17th October 2018, at which point his entitlement under this scheme exhausted. The person concerned was then assessed for Illness Benefit. However he did not qualify for payment as he did not have enough PRSI contributions in the relevant tax years. In order to qualify for Illness benefit a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 to 560, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 relates to public service employees only. Participants and supervisors on community employment programmes operated by my Department are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff numbers. My Department continues to focus on prioritising the filling of critical posts. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department, including its...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) is one of the Department’s activation interventions designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive their existing welfare payment for the duration of a course of study. All BTEA participants must re-establish their entitlement to the qualifying welfare payment at the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: This applicant was on Jobseekers Benefit in September 2018, when she applied for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) for which she qualified. The rules and regulations in relation to BTEA changed for the 2015/2016 academic year, where the cumulative total was not to be frozen. I am advised by my Department that in general, this would be conveyed by the Case Officer to the customer at the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that for social assistance schemes all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. Where an individual is renting part of their family home, the cash value of the rental income is assessed....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The over-arching objective of IORP II Directive is to facilitate the development of occupational retirement savings in the EU. Many of the provisions contained within the Directive will support positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector. The Directive provides for a range of new requirements concerning governance, management standards in schemes, safekeeping of assets, the...