Results 5,861-5,880 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Programme (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 was published in May 2017. It contained a number of measures to amend the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005, a number of specific measures relating to defined benefit pension schemes and amendments to the Civil Registration Act 2004. In July 2018, Government approval was obtained to draft additional provisions to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in light of the appellant’s contentions, the appeal file is being recalled from the Department. An Appeals Officer will consider the matter and the appellant will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The 2019 Budget Estimate for Jobseekers Benefit is €346.5m. This is an increase of €14.8m on the 2018 REV estimate which is €331.7m. This is due to a number of factors including the 2019 rate increase announced in the Budget, the carryover cost of the previous year's rate increase and the cost of extending Jobseeker's Benefit to the self-employed in late 2019. There...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Work schemes such as Tús and Community Employment (CE) are positive initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. The rural social scheme (RSS)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The provisions for a continued payment after death, for customers with a spouse/civil partner/co-habitant, are set out in Section 248(2)(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 (as amended). To qualify for a continued payment, the spouse/partner must be either a qualified adult on the deceased person’s payment or a customer in receipt of a payment in his/her own right....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Occupational Injury claim for the person concerned is both certified and paid up to 14th November 2018. If he remains ill and unfit for work, he should submit a further medical certificate to the Department as soon as possible to enable further payments to be made. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Social welfare legislation also provides that certain forms of income are disregarded in this means assessment. In this regard, a number...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is not currently available in the manner requested. However, the average processing time for individual Illness Benefit (IB) claims, dependent on the complexity of the claim application, is one week. The Deputy should also note that IB payment volumes were restored to normal levels last week and my officials are monitoring them on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department transferred administration of the Illness Benefit scheme to its core Business Objects IT platform in August 2018. Although the system change has worked effectively for over 80% of IB customers, significant difficulties arose following implementation for a number of customers. My Department is taking three main steps to resolve the issues impacting on payments. First, we...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has been processed and all arrears due to her have been paid. She is certified up to 26th November 2018. If she remains ill and unfit for work, further medical certificates should be submitted to the Department to ensure that continued payments can be made. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (13 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. CA was in payment to the person concerned at half-rate while her husband was claiming for her as a qualified adult on his...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Commencement of Legislation (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Sections 92, 93, 95 and 99 of the Children and Family provide for the registration and re-registration of the birth of a donor-conceived child but these sections have to be amended and have yet to be commenced. Commencement of these provisions is dependent on commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Health. The Children and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) which was available to people aged 65 who satisfied the qualifying conditions. This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years (previously it was 65 for those qualified for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme Applications (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: With regard to the application for Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) for the person concerned, a Medical Assessor is currently reviewing the medical report. Upon receipt of the MA's findings, the PCB claim will be processed as a matter of urgency. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11th July 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 received...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is currently a qualified adult on her partner's social welfare claim. This means that her partner is currently in receipt of a payment for her. Once this overlap issue has been resolved, her IB claim will be processed and any arrears due to her will be paid as quickly as possible. If she has an urgent financial need, she should contact the Community Welfare Service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payments for all or most of their income. This is an increase from the 85% Bonus paid in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Qualification for dental benefit is based on satisfying certain PRSI conditions. In this case, the person concerned would need to have paid 260 PRSI contributions at Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 qualifying contributions paid at the correct rate, or credited, in the relevant tax years on which the claim is based. While the person concerned has more...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The estimated full year cost of issuing a double child benefit payment to parents on the birth of a child is €8,668,240. This estimate is based on the number of child benefit claims (61,303) received in respect of first and additional children in 2017. It assumes the payment of €140, representing an additional months payment in respect of these children. As multiple births,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The table below sets out the number of senior positions held in my Department by both men and women at the end of October, 2018. Gender Grade FTE Staff Male Secretary General 1.00 1 Assistant Secretary 5.00 5 Principal Officer 37.60 38 Medical Assessor 9.00 10 Assistant Principal 155.35 156 Female Deputy Secretary 1.00 1 Assistant Secretary 5.00 5 Principal Officer...