Results 8,341-8,360 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Minimum Wage (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that the national minimum wage would increase by 30 cents, from €9.25 to €9.55 per hour, with effect from 1 January 2018. Minimum wage legislation provides that in certain cases, sub-minima rates of the national minimum wage can be paid. Specifically, sub-minima rates can be paid to employees who are: (i) under the age of 18; ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: A Public Services Card (PSC) may be issued to a person who has successfully completed a SAFE 2 identity registration. The person’s Public Service Identity Dataset is verified as part of this process. Adopted people are treated in the same way as other individuals in terms of verification of identity. Name, date of birth, place of birth and mother’s birth surname are generally...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Question Heading for question(s) 578 (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: A Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) can be issued to a person who: - has his/her birth recorded in either the register of births or the adopted children register maintained by an tArd-Chláraitheoir (General Register Office); or - is registered on the foreign birth register maintained by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade; or - is registered in the register of intercountry...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Question Heading for question(s) 579 (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3 October 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: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate state pension (contributory) with effect from 28 December 2017, based on an assessed yearly average of 38 contributions, covering their 50-year working life from December 1967 to end-December 2016. According to the records of my Department, the person has a social insurance record of 1,885 reckonable contributions and credits. The person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Economic Competitiveness (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The goal of the Government’s Pathways to Work Strategy is to ensure that as many jobs as possible go to people on the Live Register and to other groups that tend to have limited access to the labour market. Ensuring that work always pays and preventing long-term dependency on welfare are also important aspects of this strategy. Under this policy, employment services and activation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Before a decision can be made on entitlement to carer’s allowance, evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s care requirement, the level of care the carer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined from 2015 to 2017 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the following tables. Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, appeal processing times improved between 2011 and 2016 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 24.1 weeks in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tús Programme (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together. As the Deputy is aware, Tús is a work placement scheme. It aims to provide short-term quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed while also assisting in providing certain services of benefit to communities. The scheme commenced operation in 2011 as a response to the high level of unemployment and the large numbers on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 588 and 589 together. JobPath is a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs are borne by the companies. The companies are paid on the basis of performance and with the exception of the initial registration fee; payments are made only when a client has achieved sustained employment. The registration fee may be claimed once...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 to 593, inclusive, together. The Citizens Information Board (CIB) has statutory responsibility for the Citizens Information Services (CIS) and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) national networks. In November 2014 the Board of the Citizens Information Board decided to restructure the governance arrangements of local CIS and MABS services. In...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 34,400 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018. The Deputy will be aware that the strategic policy direction of the Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short-term income support with the introduction of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9thNovember 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Retirements (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, as an employer of civil servants, has been directed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to make arrangements set out in Circular 21/2017 A Temporary Circular to allow for certain Civil Servants to be retained beyond their Compulsory Retirement Age of 65 years until they reach the age of eligibility for the Contributory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Eligibility (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €49.5 million for this scheme in 2018. In general, the allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: On the 23rd January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work...

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

Regina Doherty: Employees and their employers, are liable to pay PRSI based on employee earnings. Private sector employees and public sector employees who commenced employment on or after 6 April 1995, are liable to pay Class A PRSI contributions. Class A employees pay PRSI at the rate of 4% and have access to the full range of benefits including State pension (contributory). Their employer is liable to...

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

Regina Doherty: I am aware that the Scottish Parliament recently announced that it would be establishing a Commission on Social Security to independently scrutinise the new social security system that is being introduced. My understanding is that this is part of the devolution process whereby Scotland is assuming responsibility for the provision of 11 social security benefits. The current system in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services Provision (30 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department continually keeps all of its services under review to ensure that they are delivered to the customer in the most effective and efficient manner. There is no plan to make changes to the delivery of services in Dunboyne or Maynooth at this time. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.