Results 6,461-6,480 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I will look into it. I do not know how it was done because I know how difficult it was for us to do it. After the snow it took a number of weeks for us to ensure that the payments got to people because our IT system is unique, perhaps, or special. Again, I do not think it needs to be automated either because if there is snow and adverse conditions, we will ensure we look after people. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: There are far smarter people than me in the Department's IT section. We will have a chat with them and see what we come up with.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Budget 2017 announced a number of changes to treatment benefit, which encompasses the dental, optical and medical appliance schemes. This included extending the scheme from March 2017 to self-employed PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses for the first time and reinstating treatments from October 2017 that had not been available since 2009. Among the treatments re-introduced from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. Increased Revenue (full year) Employments affected New employers’ rate of pay related social insurance of 15.75% on the portion of salary paid in excess of €1,923 per week €376.04m 242,959 These estimates are based on PRSI Class A contributors. They use the latest available data and reflect...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme (MIS) was to provide short-term support to eligible people who were unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence due to temporary unemployment of loss of earnings. The scheme was closed to new entrants from 1 January 2014. It had been intended to close the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is in receipt of a rent supplement from this Department on the basis of an assessable rent of €1250.00 per month and income from One Parent Family payments and income from part time earnings. A review has been completed this week and the person concerned has been advised of the outcome. The person concerned is in receipt of the highest level of rental support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is in receipt of a rent supplement from this Department on the basis of an assessable rent of €1250.00 per month and income from One Parent Family payments and income from part time earnings. A review has been completed this week and the person concerned has been advised of the outcome. The person concerned is in receipt of the highest level of rental support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. I confirm that my department received an application for CARB from the person concerned on the 16 May 2018. Additional information was requested from the person concerned on 20 September 2018. Once the information is received the application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has been paid Jobseeker's Allowance payments from 03rd July 2018 to 14thAugust 2018. The claim was closed 14 August 2018 as the claimant had returned to work. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides for a number of deductions in the assessment of earnings for means-testing purposes. In this regard, for weekly social assistance schemes and for the Working Family Payment, earnings are assessed less "any allowable contribution referred to in Regulations 41 and 42 of the Income Tax (Employments)(Consolidated) Regulations 2001". Pension related deductions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: From April 2012 the period for which a claim for State Pension can be backdated is six months as provided for under the Social Welfare Act 2011. Developments in the administration of contributory pensions in recent years have facilitated customers in making pension application in a timely manner. Generally customers are more likely now than before to have an attachment to the workforce thus...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Programme (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Officials from my Department are currently considering the recommendations of the report, and how they can best be progressed, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General and relevant Government Departments. I intend to come back to Government later in the year seeking approval to legislate, based on the outcome of the discussions with other Departments and the Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 502 together. A pilot initiative to assist self-employed visual artists and writers who apply to my Department for jobseeker's allowance was launched in June 2017. Under this initiative self-employed professional artists and writers who are in receipt of a jobseeker's allowance are not subject to the activation process for 12 months. Applicants for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Data (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The introduction of the new forms was discussed and agreed with the Irish Medical Organisation. Prior to the introduction of the new forms, my Department wrote to all GPs on 16th July advising them that the forms would issue to them. The introduction of these and other initiatives are the subject of ongoing discussions with the IMO. A framework and timetable has been agreed with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: All persons in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance must be capable of, available for and actively seeking full time employment. The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, specifies that participation in activation meetings is mandatory and that applies to all activation services provided by the Department including those provided by the contracted providers JobPath; Local Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. My Department has contracted two companies, Turas Nua and Seetec JobPath, to provide the service. All persons engaged with JobPath may also be eligible for a placement on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Brexit Issues (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is important to note that social security arrangements between the UK and the EU27 have not changed. The future operation of arrangements will, of course, be determined as part of the complex process of negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU. My key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the current reciprocal arrangements for social insurance schemes, social assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) is a programme providing part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development, as a stepping-stone back to employment. The CE programme provides funding for participants aged up to 66 years of age who meet the current eligibility criteria. A pilot initiative known as the Service Support Stream (SSS) was implemented...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy may be aware, there is provision for almost €840m to be spent on working age employment supports provided by my Department in 2018. It is recognised by Government that work schemes such as Tús and Community Employment are positive initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (25 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, CE scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. They are not employees of my Department or public servants, and as such were not subject to pay reductions under the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) which only applied to public servants. ...