Results 6,101-6,120 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (23 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The purpose of the activation services provided by my Department is to support jobseekers to make the transition into employment. All jobseekers referred to the Department's activation services, including those referred to the JobPath service, are asked to complete an assessment of their skills, qualifications, and work experience for the purpose of agreeing a personal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. All BTEA participants must re-establish their entitlement to the qualifying payment at the beginning of each and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The most recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund estimated that extending carer's benefit to the self-employed would cost €3m in the first year rising to €21m by 2071. It is estimated that applying the recently announced budget increases would increase the cost by €0.07m in the first year and in 2071 the cost would increase by €0.5m. Self-employed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 922,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for a Partnership Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. Carer's allowance (CA) is a means tested payment, made to people who are providing full-time care and attention to elderly people or to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Expenditure (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 320 and 321 together. On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a €5 increase in the maximum rates of all weekly social assistance and social insurance payments, with proportionate increases for those on reduced rates and for qualified adults. Young jobseekers on age-related reduced rates of payment will benefit from the full €5 increase....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: Through the commitments contained in both the Programme for Government and in the National Carers’ Strategy, the Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Domiciliary Care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: I was pleased to announce that the National Minimum Wage will increase from €9.55 per hour to €9.80 per hour with effect from the 1st January 2019. This builds on the 2018 increase from €9.25 per hour and will benefit over 150,000 employees. According to CSO figures, on average in 2017, employees earning the National Minimum Wage or less represented 7.4% of all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: Records of people who have commenced employment are forwarded by the Revenue Commissioners to my Department on an on-going basis. As part of its range of control activities, such records are matched against details of those who are in receipt of a social welfare payment. If a match is found, my Department sends a Commencement of Employment enquiry form (COE1) to the relevant person. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Applications (18 Oct 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 368,000 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: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who will consider the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted. It is expected that a decision will issue to the person concerned within the next week. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister of Employment Affairs and Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Meetings (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has not met the names person(s) or representatives of companies in the past two years to date.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Data (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department recently moved to new IT system and this has impacted on payments to some Illness Benefit customers. The transition from the old to the new system has involved moving from a payment in arrears system to a real-time system for Illness Benefit. The Department acknowledges that this move has caused difficulties for some customers, leading to a large volume of calls to its helpline...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. I understand and deeply regret the inconvenience and upset caused to customers by delays in processing illness benefit applications and issuing payments. I understand that this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Data (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: Reply awaited.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Reform (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department recently moved to new IT system and this has impacted on payments to some Illness Benefit customers. The transition from the old to the new system has involved moving from a payment in arrears system to a real-time system for Illness Benefit. The Department acknowledges that this move has caused difficulties for some customers, leading to a large volume of calls to its helpline...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has completed three years on a Community Employment Scheme (CE) which is the maximum amount as per the Government strategy of July 2017. However, provision has been put in place under CE (Service Support Stream - SSS) for older jobseekers, ages 62 years and older. Places under this option is limited to 10% of participants per individual scheme. This offers North...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has participated on a Community Employment Scheme (CE ) from 28/10/2013 and their current finish date is 19/10/2018. This brings their total time spent on CE to 5 Years. Based on the records the participant was on the Part Time Integration Option (pre July 2017) . This option allowed for a maximum duration of 2 years continuous participation on CE. The correct...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was requested to send in documentation in order for a review to be carried out on his Jobseekers Allowance claim. On receipt of all the documentation on 11 October 2018 a full review was completed. The Deciding Officer informed the person concerned by letter, dated 12 October 2018, that the payment was reinstated and outlined the payment collection details. The person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (18 Oct 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied on 27th September 2018 for an exceptional needs payment (ENP) towards a deposit on a new rental accommodation. ENPs are only made in exceptional circumstances. The customer had already made a planned move from the family home to the new accommodation and had provided her own deposit prior to making her ENP application. When applying for this ENP, she advised...