Results 7,141-7,160 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Data (31 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The deputy is referring to the extension of Social Insurance Benefits to the self-employed as set out in the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund . Projections of Social Protection expenditure are on a ‘no policy change’ basis and include only demographic pressures, as set out in the IGEES paper, ‘Budgetary Impacts of Changing Demographics 2017 –...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department will carry out a review of the record of any person who makes contact, advising of the possibility that contributions may be missing from their social insurance record. Such a review can take a number of forms, depending on the nature of the issues raised; and can include (but is not limited to) the following; - Examination of any documentation provided by the customer - A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payment (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is administered by Local Authorities and overall policy responsibility for HAP rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. Matters relating to the processing times for HAP applications and the payment of arrears are primarily a matter for that Department. Notwithstanding this, I understand that arrears may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department’s main social welfare schemes for people who are unemployed are the jobseeker’s allowance and the jobseekers benefit schemes. Both schemes provide significant support to individuals so that they can work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced jobseeker’s payment. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 21 February 2017. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions No. 215 and 216 together. Part 10 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 (as amended) sets down the roles, powers and functions of deciding officers and appeals officers. Deciding officers are appointed by the Minister under section 299 of the Act. Section 301 of the Act provides for the questions which shall be decided by a deciding officer. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The School Meals Programme provides funding to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a cost of €54 million in 2018. The objective of the Scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. As the Deputy will be aware the Department commenced...

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: They can go to a different school.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am happy to have this opportunity to address the Seanad on the issue of sub-minima rates of pay under the National Minimum Wage Act. The existing rates provide for reduced rates to be paid in certain circumstances to particular groups, for example, younger workers and trainee workers. It might be useful to outline the role of the Low Pay Commission in this area. I emphasise that it is an...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Patricia King, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, does not support the Bill.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Removal of Sub-minimum Rates of Pay) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: Gerry Light, the assistant general secretary of Mandate, also opposes this. We are in very good company.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: As Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection I welcome the recent agreement between An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU). I understand that the plan paves the way for a modernisation programme which will facilitate the development and renewal of the post office network. While responsibility for An Post rests with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: An application for Working Family Payment (formerly Family Income Supplement) was received from the person concerned on 8thMarch 2018. One of the conditions for receipt of Working Family Payment (WFP) is that an applicant or the applicant and spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. As...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 30 November 2017. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person being cared for must require full-time care and attention. The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that this condition was satisfied. The person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: I wish to clarify to the Deputy that I replied to the correspondence in question on the 22ndMay 2018. As advised the primary goal of the Department’s activation services is to move people from unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. All jobseekers are required to engage with the Department’s activation service and this obligation applies irrespective of whether the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (29 May 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 20 April 2018. The application is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Telephone Support Allowance (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The new weekly Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) of €2.50 will be paid from June 2018. People in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance will automatically qualify for the TSA. It is expected that approximately 124,176 customers will qualify for the scheme and the estimated full year cost is €16.14 million. The first payment of the TSA is planned to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The over-arching objective of IORP II is to facilitate the development of occupational retirement savings in the EU. Many of the provisions contained within the IORP II directive will also support positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector. The directive provides for a range of new requirements concerning governance, management standards in schemes, safekeeping of assets, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) formerly the Respite Care Grant (RCG) is paid automatically on the first Thursday in June to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative’s Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full-time care and attention are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (29 May 2018)

Regina Doherty: The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible under the scheme. There are currently approximately 911,000 customers in receipt of free travel. Travel operators must comply with a number of terms and conditions when entering the free...