Results 4,981-5,000 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: My Department operates a number of employment support programmes including Community Employment (CE) and Tús. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment, provide work experience and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. As the Deputy is aware, customers of my Department who are engaged with the JobPath service have, from 1st June 2018, the...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 568, 582, 584 and 585 together. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the JobPath service. JobPath is a service that...

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

Regina Doherty: Academics from Waterford Institute of Technology recently made statements to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The statements made reference to research undertaken where 121 unemployed persons had been interviewed as part of their research into experiences of unemployment. 25 of those who partook in the research reported an experience of the JobPath...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Security of the Elderly (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am informed that the Department of Rural and Community Development funds the Senior Alert Scheme and Pobal administer this on behalf of that Department. This provides funding for a personal monitored alarm, connected to a contact centre to enable older persons of 65 or older and of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. ...

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

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was advised by letter dated 14th January 2019 that she was not entitled to payment of Illness Benefit as she does not satisfy all of the contribution conditions. In order to qualify for an illness benefit payment a claimant must have 104 total PRSI contributions paid since entering insurable employment. According to the department's records the person concerned has 99...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Data (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 574 together. The numbers of applications for hearing aids under the Treatment Benefit scheme in the years 2016 to 2018 are detailed in the following table. There has been an increase in applications of over 50% in the last number of years; this included a significant increase since the self-employed first qualified for the scheme in March 2017. ...

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

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €630 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €240 million in 2019. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is...

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

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is fully paid up to the 26th January 2019. Her payment pattern is determined by the date her medical certificates are received and the dates her payments are due. A payment of €162.78 issued to her bank account on the 8th January 2019 that paid her for the period of 8th January - 12th January 2019. A further payment of €195.33...

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

Regina Doherty: No pieces of legislation or draft heads of bills have been sent by my Department to EU institutions before their publication during the period of the 32nd Dáil. In relation to the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019, and Brexit Preparedness and Contingency planning more generally, the Government continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (29 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The rates of payment, and qualification rules for benefits paid by my Department change from time to time with the approval of Government and the Oireachtas. Generally these are improvements, at times of inflation and economic growth, but during the economic crisis (and the very significant price deflation at that time), there were reductions in a wide range of payments, which were necessary...

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

Regina Doherty: I presume that in asking this question the Deputy is alluding to the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018. Responsibility for this legislation lies with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As the Deputy is aware the provisions of the Act apply to public service employees only. Participants and supervisors on Community Employment and...

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

Regina Doherty: My Department oversees the procurement for JobPath , the Local Employment Services (LES) and Jobs Clubs.The LES and Job Clubs are currently on annual contracts which are reviewed on an ongoing basis. The contracts for JobPath are due to expire at end-2019, with some contractual provisions for extension, although this is not envisaged at this point. In this context, my Department is...

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

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that all income and property belonging to the claimant (and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable) is assessable for means testing purposes for social assistance schemes, such as Disability Allowance. In the assessment of earnings, various disregards and tapers are in place to ensure that financial incentives exist to take up employment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: In October 2017, the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) initiated an investigation to assess the legal basis for the processing of data in connection with the Public Services Card (PSC) and other related matters.  The DPC provided a draft report on the PSC to my Department in late August 2018.The draft report requested further information and clarifications on a broad range of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Since the end of September 2018, my Department has been examining the social insurance records of pensioners born on or after 1 September 1946 who were awarded state pension (contributory) on reduced post Budget 2012 rate bands.   This work includes all new claimants who were awarded reduced rate state pension (contributory) since the Government decision.  The required...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (24 Jan 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 443,000 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: During 2018 my Department received 20,122 claims in respect of carer's allowance, it rejected 9,291 claims which did not satisfy the eligibility criteria. The figures provided for appeals which had a favourable outcome for the appellant relate to appeals which were either allowed in full or in part by an Appeals Officer, or which were resolved by way of a revised decision in favour of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The table attached provides the appeal processing times for schemes in 2018 broken down by weeks spent in the Social Welfare Appeals Office, the Department and with the appellant. The time taken to process an appeal reflects all aspects of the appeal process including the time spent in the Department reviewing the decision in light of the appeal contentions and/or preparing the appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 January 2019.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Dental Services Provision (24 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The scheme provides for a contribution towards the cost of a scale and polish or periodontal treatment, in addition to the free annual examination. If the person concerned is the holder of a Medical Card, they should contact their local HSE office which will advise on entitlements under the HSE scheme.   I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.