Results 8,241-8,260 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice (VPSJ) developed a model of a minimum income standard (MIS). The MIS is defined by the VPSJ as “the gross income a household needs in order to reach their minimum essential standard of living”. The VPSJ’s Minimum Essential Standard of Living 2017 (MESL) is derived from a negotiated consensus, based on focus groups with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 627 to 629, inclusive, together. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices used in the following table is sourced from the Department of Finance’s 2018 Budget Day book. This provides forecasts for inflation for the four years 2018 to 2021 inclusive. However, there is no projection available for 2022 or 2023 and, thus, no costings are provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Tús is one of a range of supports provided by my Department to cater for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. It provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping-stone back to employment. However, it is important to note that these placements are not full-time sustainable jobs and are designed to break the cycle of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body established by the Oireachtas. In addition to its own statutory responsibilities in relation to information and advocacy service provision, it has statutory responsibility for the countrywide networks of Citizens Information Services (CIS) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). CIB has been allocated €57.410 million...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The aim of the JobPath service is to assist participants in finding sustainable full-time paid employment. Community Employment (CE) schemes, provides part-time employment and training opportunities in local communities for people in receipt of a Social Welfare payment, including long-term unemployment payments as a stepping stone back to employment. It is important to note that Community...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Determinations made by Designated Persons in relation to claims made under Section 201 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act) 2005, i.e. Exceptional Needs Payments can be reviewed by a SWA Reviewing Officer under Section 323 of that Act. As the Deputy has requested that a review be conducted, the relevant review officer has been notified of your request and they will now commence the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Zero-hour Contracts (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Section 14 of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017, which was published in December, proposes the replacement of the existing section 18 in the Organisation of Working Time Act with a new section. One of the purposes of the proposed new section 18 is to prohibit zero hour contracts in most circumstances. The University of Limerick (UL) in its study on the prevalence of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by almost 80 private transport operators. There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: According to the records of my Department, a jobseeker allowance claim was disallowed for the person concerned from 19 July 2017. The disallowance arose due to the person concerned having means in excess, which was assessed from her partner’s self-employment. The person concerned appealed the decision and the file is currently with the Social Welfare Appeals Office. With regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16 January 2018. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers have been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body established by the Oireachtas. In addition to its own statutory responsibilities in relation to information and advocacy service provision, it has statutory responsibility for the countrywide networks of Citizens Information Services (CIS) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). The decision to restructure the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: All Jobseekers on the live register must be capable of; available for and actively seeking full time employment, they must engage with the Department’s activation services. JobPath is one of my Department’s employment activation services which supports people who are long-term unemployed, including those underemployed and working part time to secure and sustain full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 to 650, inclusive, together. A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020. The move to such a system has been signalled, therefore, for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14thNovember 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers have been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (13 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed, including those working part time to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. The person in question was referred to the JobPath programme in July 2017 and agreed a personal progression plan in August 2017 and has attended a number of appointments and workshops over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (8 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) supervisors, including those on drug rehabilitation schemes, are not employed by my Department - rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. A new Programme Framework for Community Employment (CE) drug rehabilitation schemes was introduced in January 2016. As the Deputy will be aware, the focus of the CE drug schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Social Protection payments are comprised of a personal rate payment for the claimant with an increase payable for a qualified adult and/or qualified child/children where applicable. An increase for a qualified adult (IQA) is payable in respect of a person who is wholly or mainly maintained by the claimant. This can be the claimant’s spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant or a person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (8 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Training on Community Employment (CE) is based on the personal and occupational needs of each individual and is identified through the tailored Individual Learning Plan (ILP), agreed between the CE Supervisor and the participant and approved by my Department. A participant training grant is allocated to each CE Scheme. During their time on CE, participants are encouraged and supported...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (8 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: The treatment of pensions from other EU Member States is covered by the EU rules on the coordination of social security systems. It provides that where, under the legislation of the competent Member State, the receipt of social security benefits and other income has certain legal effects, the relevant provisions of that legislation shall also apply to the receipt of equivalent benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Feb 2018)

Regina Doherty: Under social welfare legislation, the social insurance status of family members including spouses working in a family business can vary. Spouses and relatives who are engaged in a business partnership are treated as individual self-employed contributors who are liable to social insurance contributions, provided their annual income exceeds €5,000. These contributions enable them to...