Results 6,561-6,580 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: The persons concerned submitted applications for the Back to Education Allowance(BTEA) dated 18/6/18 in order to pursue a full time Level 6 foundation course. In order to qualify for the BTEA an applicant must be progressing in the levels of education held. Both of the persons concerned currently hold a Level 8 honours degree and their applications were refused as the progression rule...

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

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a Jobseekers Allowance payment of €198.00 per week. The Department was informed that the person concerned may be working or worked in the recent past. A form was issued to the customer on 6 July 2018 to confirm these details. The completed form, including a P45 was received in Ballyfermot Intreo Centre on 18 July 2018. The overpayment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January last, this Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated on a Total Contributions basis, including provision for up to 20 years of a new home caring credit. Legislation is being drafted to enable implementation of these arrangements, and a number of options regarding the best...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The living alone allowance is an additional payment of €9 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including state pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and are in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension, incapacity supplement and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 Sep 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 they require that level of care. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 6 November 2017. It is a condition for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 Sep 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 10 August 2018. CA can only...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I understand that the Gender Pension Gap referred to in the material provided by the Deputy relates to an EU Commission statistic, used to calculate the difference in all pension income, including occupational pensions and personal investment pensions. While I understand this figure was calculated as approximately 37% in 2012, the latest EU Gender Pension Gap figure (including second and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: This issue would seem primarily to relate to industrial relations issues within the company in the context of the company restructuring its operations and potential job losses. These are matters that would be for negotiation between the employer and the employees and their representatives in the normal course of resolving industrial relations issues. The Workplace Relations Commission and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: For the purpose of compliance with the Income Tax (Employments)(Consolidated) Regulations, and for that purpose only, the Department of Education and Skills placed home tutors on payroll in 2015 and took responsibility for deducting PAYE/PRSI/USC from them even though they are regarded as self-employed. They did this at the request of the Revenue Commissioners. PRSI class S deductions are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is reviewing the maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to the one-parent family payment scheme. This review is nearing completion, and my officials will shortly be liaising with the Department of Justice and Equality, which is the Department responsible for Family Law Acts, with a view to jointly considering the next steps in relation to family...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Anti-Poverty Strategy (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Tackling poverty remains a fundamental aspiration of Irish society and the Programme for a Partnership Government includes a firm commitment to develop a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, to tackle inequality and poverty. This will be a successor to the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 (NAPinclusion) and its 2015-2017 update which concluded last year. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Data (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: At the end of August 54,847 people were in receipt of Working Family Payment. I regret, however, that it is not currently possible to produce the requested breakdown of this total by employer size.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to...

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

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff.  The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to...

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

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer's decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment...

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

Regina Doherty: The Community Employment (CE) programme is a community centred labour market initiative established for the purposes of social inclusion and activation, to help long-term unemployed people and other vulnerable groups to enter the workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment. CE projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Administration (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department regularly reviews its processes to ensure the most efficient and customer friendly methods are used at all times. Processing and payment of family benefits where more than one country is involved is governed by EU Regulations 883 of 2004 and 987 of 2009. In the case of the named individual, Ireland is competent to pay a top up payment (a supplement) equal to the difference...

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

Regina Doherty: The person concerned made an application for a basic supplementary welfare allowance payment and was requested to provide bank statements for the period November 2017 to May 2018. She provided the requested documentation on 13/9/18. An appointment has been made for her with a designated personon 20/9/18, when her application will be progressed and a decision made accordingly. I trust this...

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

Regina Doherty: My department provides a range of income supports for carers including carer’s benefit, carer’s allowance, domiciliary care allowance and the carer’s support grant. Carers are entitled to an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient. Credited contributions, normally known as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (18 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: In order to provide for sustainable pensions and to facilitate a longer working life, legislation passed in 2011 provides for an increase in the State pension age in three separate stages. In 2014, the State pension age was standardised at 66. This will be increased to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. The Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023 has stated that future changes in State pension age will...