Results 641-660 of 7,690 for speaker:Regina Doherty in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. The number of recipients of disability payments at the end of October in each of the years 2016 to 2019 . Type of Payment 2016 2017 2018 2019 Disability Allowance 125,046 132,727 139,722 145,544 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Household Benefits Package is paid to over 452,000 households at an estimated cost of €248 million in 2019. Of this cost, €188 million relates to the electricity or gas allowance element of the Household Benefits Package. The remaining €60 million relates to the Free Television Licence. As part of Budget 2020, I introduced a change, with effect from 6th January...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the reciprocal arrangements for social insurance (which includes pensions) and social assistance (means tested schemes linked to residency rights) and child benefit between Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland. Post-Brexit, including in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Irish and British citizens will continue to enjoy the right to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is currently in receipt of maximum rate widows Pension for a person under 66 years payable at €208.50 per week. From 20 December 2019, the person concerned will qualify for the maximum rate widows pension for a person 66 years and over, payable at a rate of €248.30 per week. This payment rate is equivalent to the maximum rate of state pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Based on the most recent figures available to my Department, the table below provides the number of applicants of pension age who have not qualified for State pension (contributory) in the past three years as they did not satisfy the statutory contribution conditions. Year reached pension age Total pensioners who did not satisfy the statutory contribution conditions ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. To help my Department to make timely and fair decisions on applications, applicants should ensure that they complete the application forms fully, attaching all the supporting documentation required as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Tús commenced operation in 2011 as a response to the high level of unemployment and the large numbers on the Live Register. It is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. The duration of the Tús contract is a maximum of 12 months and this ensures that as many people as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services Provision (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Community Welfare Services in the South Kildare are based in three main centres: Naas, Newbridge and Athy. The service is accessible by telephone call, followed up by appointments and home visits as required. Telephone lines are open at all times and all customers have their call returned within one working day. This eliminates the need for customers to travel to and Intreo Centre or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Community Employment (CE) programme is designed to enhance employability by providing work experience and training opportunities for people within their communities. The programme is operated by CE Sponsors, who are typically voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit the local community. These CE Sponsoring organisations contract, as independent employers, with my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent Community Employment Sponsoring Bodies. The contract agreement between the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Unemployment Benefits Eligibility (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance are the two main income supports available from my Department to people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full time employment. Jobseeker’s benefit is a social insurance based scheme and applicants must have sufficient insurance contributions and suffered a substantial loss of employment to qualify. The 2020 revised...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (3 Dec 2019)

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 24 October 2019. A person can...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. Information is shared with these contractors to enable them to provide employment services on behalf of the Department. The purpose of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Payments (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Christmas Bonus is being paid this week to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments for all of most of their income. As illness benefit is a short-term scheme, recipients are not eligible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Data (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The following Table shows a breakdown, by county, of all Grant claims in payment at end-October 2019. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. Carer’s Support Grants, by county, at end-October 2019 Carlow 1,735 Cavan 1,725 Clare 2,797 Cork 13,007 Donegal 4,836 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Technical Working Group Report is a set of operational guidelines agreed with the Unions and finalised in 2007 and was written in the context of the technology available at the time. In the last eight years, since the rollout of the Report in 2011, there has been considerable advancement in technology and processes. Advice on roles, duties and procedures have been issued via...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Family Law Acts place a legal obligation on parents to maintain their children. In cases where the family unit has broken down these obligations continue to apply. Relevant maintenance payments can be arranged either directly between the parties themselves, or with the assistance of supports from the Department of Justice and Equality, such as the Family Mediation Service and the Legal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: An Increase for a Qualified Adult is an additional payment made to social welfare recipients in respect of a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant who is financially dependent on them. This additional payment is means-tested. The Department estimates that payments will be made in respect of an average of 150,000 Qualified Adults per week in 2020. The full year cost of ceasing the payment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: At present my Department is extending its statistical reporting ability to include greater information on dependent adult and child increases across the range of payments under its remit. To date the production of reports in respect of the age and sex of adult dependent has been developed in respect of 4 schemes, disability allowance, invalidity pension, state pension contributory and state...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (3 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: PRSI contributions made after age 66 years are not included in the assessment of whether a person is eligible for treatment benefit. This is also the case in relation to other social welfare benefits Currently, Class K and M PRSI contributions are not reckonable for treatment benefit, class M PRSI applies where there is no PRSI liability (zero % rate) and class K at a zero % rate in...