Results 7,681-7,700 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: The PPS Number for the person concerned was allocated on the 6thof April 2018 and the notification letter of this allocation was issued to her on that day. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to April, to over 338,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include employment schemes such as Tús. Tús provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping stone back to employment. The objective of the scheme is to break the cycle of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that where a person under 25 years of age claims jobseeker’s allowance or supplementary welfare allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there. The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Participants with any of the Department’s contracted activation services such as JobPath or the Local Employment Service (LES) are not required to sign a contract with the companies but they are, in the same manner as customers referred to the Department’s own Intreo activation service requested to agree and sign a personal progression plan (PPP). A PPP contains a schedule...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay Commission (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: In July this year the Low Pay Commission will complete its first three years in existence. The National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015, which established the Commission, provides that the Commission shall, once every three years, report generally on the operation of the Act and, in particular, on the impact of minimum wage recommendations on low pay, income distribution and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Temporary clerical staff are recruited to cover absences of permanent staff on maternity leave, long term sick leave, other statutory leave and also to provide cover for some staff availing of the shorter working year scheme. They are also recruited to alleviate work pressure in certain areas, and to assist in the roll-out of the Public Services Card project. Temporary contracts are offered...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Direct Provision Payments (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 1466 and 1467 together. The direct provision allowance is a non-statutory payment administered by my Department on behalf of the Department of Justice and Equality to persons in the direct provision system. The Government has provided over €5.6 million for the allowance in 2018. There are approximately 3,700 adults and 1,600 children residing in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1468 and 1470 to 1472, inclusive, together. The costings sought by the Deputy are detailed in the following series of tables. Table 1: Full year cost of increasing various payments by €5 per week Scheme €5 increase €m Carer’s Allowance 16.0 Carer’s Benefit 0.7 Disability Allowance 37.5 Illness Benefit 14.4...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 31,720 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018. Taking into account the contribution of the customer to their housing costs under the scheme, increasing rent limits by 10% would result in a full year cost of approximately €24 million...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Funding towards school meals is being provided in over 1,580 schools and other organisations, supporting over 248,000 children at a cost of some €54 million in 2018, representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Based on the 2018 budgetary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage Expenditure (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department assumed responsibility for Employment Affairs on 2ndof September 2017, including the Low Pay Commission. This was previously the responsibility of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The total expenditure for the Low Pay Commission for 2017 was €297,459.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Data (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: The number of schemes and net asset values are set out in tabular form below. Neither the Pensions Authority nor my Department collates data on the average return on schemes. - No. of schemes Net asset value Defined Contribution Schemes 70,700 €35bn. Defined Benefit Schemes 640 €60.8 bn. PRSAs (number of contracts) 264,664 €6.3bn. Scheme data are based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to almost 628,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: The new interim Total Contributions Approach to determining the level of pay, including the introduction of the new HomeCaring credit, for recipients of the State Pension (contributory) affected by the 2012 rate band changes was agreed by the Government in January. Instructions for legislation to give effect to this change are currently being set out. When drafted, the legislation will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: PRSI contributions can be credited to people in a number of contexts, for example when in receipt of a Jobseekers or Illness benefit payments. Where applicable, these may be used towards PRSI-based social protection payments, including the State pension contributory. To qualify for a credit you must have worked and paid at least one PRSI contribution at PRSI Class A, B, C, D, E, or H and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: The interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA) which will apply to those affected by the change in rate bands in September 2012, and before the full TCA comes in from 2020, will see entitlements based on the pensioner’s total contributions. While the details regarding the operation of the scheme have to be finalised, and based on a total of 40 years of contributions (comprising both...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided over €36 million for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2018. An ENP is a means tested payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme Eligibility (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) is a scheme which allows a person return to employment if they have a reduced capacity for work while continuing to receive a payment from my department. A person who applies for PCB will, in the first instance, be assessed by a medical assessor who assesses the degree of capacity. If awarded, PCB will allow them to continue to receive a percentage of their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (17 Apr 2018)

Regina Doherty: An exceptional needs payment towards the cost of funeral expenses, in the case of the person concerned, was approved on 23/3/18. A payment was issued by cheque to the person concerned on 5/4/2018. I trust this clarifies the mater for the Deputy.