Results 5,041-5,060 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Adoption Legislation (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: There currently exist a range of provisions in respect of adoptions, including those made from abroad by male same-sex couples. In terms of registration, children adopted abroad are registered in the register of inter-country adoptions. This register is maintained by the Adoption Authority, which is appointed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Domestic adoptions are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (22 Jan 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 2020. I launched a public consultation on the design of the full TCA to be introduced from 2020 on the 28th of May to which a wide variety of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (22 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 have an entitlement to and are being paid a reduced state pension (contributory) under post Budget 2012 rate bands. Their rate of payment is now being formally reviewed under legislation recently enacted. Given the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The net cost of airline flights for my Department for 2018 amounted to €51,392.11. As many of the flights involved relate to meetings where the flight costs are refundable by the organisers, this net figure includes overall flight costs of €80,021.61 incurred during 2018, reduced by €28,629.50 in respect of refunds relating to those costs. Most of the air travel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Expenditure on newspapers purchased by my Department in 2018 amounted to €9,993.53. These costs are provisional and subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Department monitors such expenditure closely at all times and keeps these costs to a minimum. The total expenditure cited above includes the purchase and delivery of print copies of newspapers as well...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, I secured Government agreement Wednesday 9th January (Government Decision S180/20/10/0861) to establish an Interdepartmental Group to explore the most appropriate organisational arrangements, including which Department should host Community Employment (CE) Social Inclusion schemes. The group will comprise of officials from my own Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Civil Registration Bill 2019 will resolve a number of difficulties in the registration of donor assisted births. It will extend the required particulars for registration of a birth to include “Parent” on a birth certificate. At present birth certificates issued in respect of donor-assisted children born to same sex couples only allow for the recording of the mother’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (22 Jan 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. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed as quickly as possible. Where any scheme area experiences delays, all possible steps are taken to improve processing times. This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the efficient...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Government intends to introduce a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing the level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims from 2020 onwards (TCA2020). I launched a public consultation on the design of the full TCA to be introduced from 2020 on the 28th of May to which a wide variety of stakeholder groups were invited. A number of workshops were also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (22 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 the 8th November 2018. 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 were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for state pension (contributory) on 27 April 2017. On 18 July 2017, the person's claim was disallowed as, according to my Department's records, the person had not entered insurable employment before reaching 56 years of age and did not have the required 520 contributions. Through correspondence from the person's accountant,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 16th January 2019. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (22 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (22 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.  Information letters were issued to all these pensioners explaining that my Department will contact them again to either inform them about the outcome...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Inspections (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Social Welfare Inspectors, SWIs, are appointed under Section 250 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). As part of their function, they are required to investigate and report on customer’s claims and confirm that scheme conditionality is in order. They also have a role in ensuring that compliance is in order in relation to employer’s PRSI. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Inspections (22 Jan 2019)

Regina Doherty: Social Welfare Inspectors, SWIs, are appointed under Section 250 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) and are required to investigate and report on customer’s claims and confirm that scheme conditionality is in order. They also have a role in ensuring that compliance is in order in relation to employer’s PRSI. As part of their investigations, SWIs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 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: Brexit Issues (22 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: Brexit Issues (22 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...