Results 5,621-5,640 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payment (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to assist with accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation.  The scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, supporting approximately 25,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018. The strategic policy direction of my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (27 Nov 2018)

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).   It is intended that this scheme will include provisions for periods of home-caring.  I launched a public consultation on this proposal earlier this year in May, which closed in early...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (27 Nov 2018)

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 €227 million in 2018. 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: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: As requested a statement has been issued to the person concerned confirming the amount of money he receives weekly under the Partial Capacity Scheme. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The 2019 allocation for the rural social scheme is €53.11 million. On this basis, a 12% increase in the budget for the scheme in 2019 would cost €6.37 million in a full year. The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2019. It should be noted that these costs are subject to change in the context of emerging trends....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Applications (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. The person concerned recently resumed employment. In order to reinstate WFP further details are required in respect of their current employment. The Department contacted the person concerned on 22nd November 2018 and has requested written confirmation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA). The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the calculation of that entitlement, for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: A social welfare inspector does not stop payments to a person in receipt of a payment while they investigate a situation. A Deciding Officer may suspend a payment to a person in certain circumstances. Payments to customers are not suspended unless there is a valid reason for doing so, for example, failure to sign, no reply from the customer to a request for information or insufficient...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include Community Employment (CE), the Tús programme and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS). RSS was introduced in 2004 and provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen/women who are currently in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Labour Market activation policies are designed to give jobseekers a better chance of finding employment, and the primary goal of my Department’s activation services is to move people from unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. In accepting payment of JobSeeker's Benefit or Assistance, the customer agrees to avail himself/herself of the appropriate support measures on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware the primary goal of my Department’s activation services, including the JobPath service, is to move people from full-time and part-time unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. Two companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, have been contracted by my Department to deliver JobPath services. All jobseekers are referred to a JobPath service location which is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The purpose of the activation services provided by my Department is to enable persons in receipt of a jobseeker's payment who are also in part time employment to move to full-time employment with a sustainable income. JobPath provides an intensive personal service which focuses on the skills and experience of each person. In the case of clients already in part-time employment this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made by my Department to full-time carers. This application was received on 9thOctober 2018. The Deciding Officer dealing with the claim has referred the case to a local inspector to provide a report on the level of care the customer provides. The inspector is expediting her report on this issue. Additionally, the person making the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA). The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the calculation of that entitlement, for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (27 Nov 2018)

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. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 04 October 2018. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department has made no payments to the individual referred to by the Deputy during the period 1 January 2013 to date 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (27 Nov 2018)

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. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 16 October 2018. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The customer submitted her claim for Jobseekers Allowance on the 27 June 2018 and she requested this claim to be backdated to the 5 April 2018. Backdating could not approved as the customer was not in a position to demonstrate that she had met all the conditions for Jobseekers Allowance during that period. A letter confirming refusal of the backdating was issued to the customer on the 27...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has been processed and arrears owing to him will issue in the coming week. The claim for the person concerned is certified up to the 18th November 2018 and paid up to the 17th November 2018. If the person concerned remains ill and unfit for work, a further medical certificate should be submitted to the Department as soon as possible in order...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Climate Change Adaptation Plans (27 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is currently in discussions with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the development of specific climate change targets as part of an overall whole of government climate change action plan. Energy usage is the main contributor to climate change and the Department and agencies under its aegis are mitigating this as part of the Public Sector Energy...