Results 7,741-7,760 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: The information requested is not readily available and is currently being compiled by my Department. The information will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: The rural social scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative which provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and underemployed in their primary occupation. The RSS is a supplementary income support scheme. RSS is delivered through 35 Local Development Companies and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Data (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed to obtain and sustain paid employment. The service was launched in 2015 on a ‘rolling basis’ with referral numbers gradually increasing over time. As of the end of February 2018, just over 151,000 people had commenced their engagement period with the service. This figure is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: Within the social welfare system and subject to the qualifying conditions of the particular scheme, a primary claimant may apply for payment of an increase for a qualified adult (IQA) in respect of a dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. Generally, persons in respect of whom IQA payments are being made are free to make an application for a social welfare payment in their own...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require this level of care. The Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is continued entitlement. Following a review in this case, which involved an investigation by a local social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department operates a range of employment support measures which are designed to encourage the unemployed to re-enter the labour market by participating in schemes such as Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS). The Deputy will appreciate that given the welcome improvements in the labour market in recent years with reducing numbers of long term unemployed on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Applications (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Act 1997, in line with the recommendations in the final report of the National Pensions Board, provided for an increase in the number of paid contributions required for entitlement to old age contributory pension from 156 or three years to 520 or ten years. This increase was introduced in two phases with lengthy timescales which recognised the need for a long lead-in time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (28 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities, comply with any statutory Codes of Practice, meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities and report every year on achievement of these obligations. According to the latest staff census figure, compiled for the year ending...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank members for the invitation to be meet the committee to discuss the Revised Estimates for my Department. Department officials have provided detailed briefing material for the use of the committee at this meeting, which includes comprehensive financial and recipient data. This briefing also provides updates on the Department’s performance on its output targets for 2017. ...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: I thank Deputy Bríd Smith who is worse than I am. If I had my way, the figure would be 41%, but it is 36%. I will challenge every single year to try to get more in order to be able to do some of the stuff we want to do collectively. Nonetheless, there is a difference between our budget and those of many other European countires. As such, we are not necessarily comparing like with...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: We would then be discriminating against all others who were adjudicated on under the 2012 legislation. Effectively, what we are doing is bringing forward a new law to recognise that people were outside the workforce for a variety of reasons. In most cases, we know that it was women who were rearing their families. We need to be cognisant of the fact that they were not in the system....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: I cannot do it. If we were to introduce a new law today, we would not be able to charge somebody under it for something they did last year. Unfortunately, that is the way it is. On the income disregards for lone parent families, the Deputy is right that the cost of living has gone up. I would have increased it by more if we had more money. I have every intention of continuing to do so...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is the Kremlin. People under the 12-month threshold will have the opportunity to join this Youth Guarantee scheme or avail of any of the other training options. That is what we are trying to get-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: Is that me?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: Mine is in silent mode.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: That is my thinking on this matter, although the Deputy thinks differently.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: It is because I do not want them to be on the dole.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: No. They are being given an opportunity to take back-to-education courses, upskill further, become carers and provide employment and training facilities and options for themselves, if money is an issue. We have an ambition to get young people off jobseeker's payments and not welfare dependent. We want them to upskill, train and participate in the workforce. That is what they also want....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Regina Doherty: We need to revert on the matter.