Results 6,661-6,680 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Further Education and Training Programmes (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: Referrals to training supports by my Department are focused on those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Unemployed persons who are not in receipt of welfare support have access to Solas training supports. As you know Solas is a statutory agency that operates under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, which has responsibility the management, co-ordination and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: As a general policy, the Government intends to introduce a Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to establishing level of entitlement for all new state pension contributory claims from 2020 onwards. I launched a public consultation on this proposal earlier this year in May.  This closed last Monday, the 3rd of September.  My Department has now started studying the submissions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The applicant in this case applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment to cover the cost of private dental care. This application was refused by the Designated Person as private dental care is not considered an exceptional need. Following a review, the original decision of the Designated Person to refuse the application was upheld. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (7 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 3 August 2018.  The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include the Tús programme which is a work placement scheme that aims to provide short-term quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed while also assisting in providing certain services of benefit to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department currently provides an electricity allowance, payable at the rate of €35 per month, as part of the household benefits package.  The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to carers and people with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 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 has to be enacted to enable implementation of these arrangements, and a number of options regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (7 Sep 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 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.  This will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (7 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 person 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 9 March 2018. A person can be considered to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1317 and 1318 together. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities.  However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department in general does not allow expenses to be considered in the context of means assessment.  In this regard childcare costs are not considered in the means assessment of One-Parent Family payment (OFP), or any other social welfare payment. In Budget 2018 I introduced a range of measures that would benefit lone parent families.  Firstly from 29 March 2018 the weekly rates...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Care Costs (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: I note the report referred to by the Deputy. Government policy is to provide additional supports for parents and their children through increased services rather than increased cash transfers. This includes such services as free early-years education through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, and enhanced provision of affordable childcare. These areas are a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Post Office Closures (7 Sep 2018)

Regina Doherty: This Government continues to be committed to maintaining the post office network and for An Post to remain a strong and viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focussed network of post offices in the community.  I understand that An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) have agreed a plan for the future of the post...

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: Now.

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank all the Deputies, particularly the social protection spokespersons and the members of the Oireachtas joint committee, for their input into the Bill over the past year. As I said on a number of occasions today, we have done extensive public consultation. I thank the University of Limerick for the work it did, as well as all the other bodies that were involved, including Mandate,...

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am always fascinated by some of the contributions when Members get so sarcastic and personal towards each other. Whether we think we are winning each other over or peeving each other off, it is quite interesting to watch. I want to say again for the record that I totally appreciate what Deputy O'Dea is trying to do. I genuinely do, and I hope he believes me. To answer Deputy Brady's...

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: -----are all run on the basis of contracting and freelance, or whatever we want to call this new world. While those arrangements might have been engaged in co-operatively between the employer and the employee, the State is losing money. It is not the Government that is losing out. People have said on a number of occasions today that the Government is losing money. It is not the...

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is the second contribution he has made.

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: Earlier in the debate, I gave a brief overview of the process the scrutiny of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has undergone to date. It is only right the Bill should be subject to comprehensive scrutiny. What I have difficulty with is that the amendment has not been subject to any scrutiny or consultation with a broad range of stakeholders who are likely to be affected by it....

Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jul 2018)

Regina Doherty: I apologise for the delay. I was about to start last night when we adjourned. I share Deputy Willie O'Dea's concerns about bogus self-employment. I think everybody else in the House does too. This Bill is not an appropriate vehicle for the amendment that has been tabled on Report Stage. The amendment would have such an impact and is so detailed and worthy that it should be subject to...