Results 8,601-8,620 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Benefit (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 which was enacted in July 2016 introduced a new scheme of paternity leave and an associated social welfare payment of paternity benefit from the 1st September 2016. Since the commencement of the scheme on 1 September 2016, 32,784 paternity benefit claims have been awarded to 31 December 2017. The estimated additional cost of extending the duration of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The 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 over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 900,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection fully recognises the need to support staff and promote disability awareness and has been very proactive in the provision of training and supports in this area in recent years, with a very positive response from staff. The Department supports its staff by offering a suite of disability awareness training including Mental Health...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There are currently 84 staff (80.15 full-time equivalent) working in the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The full year cost of increasing the staff complement by 10% would amount to approximately €458,000.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Pensions reform is a Government priority and I can confirm an intention to publish and commence the implementation of a pensions reform plan in the near future. Perhaps the most fundamental reform measure which will be contained within this plan will relate to the development of a new auto enrolment supplementary retirement savings system for employees without pensions coverage. Auto...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. CA was in payment to the person concerned from 2 January 2014. Once claims are in payment, the Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement. Depending...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (16 Jan 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 approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: According to the records of this Department the person concerned has not recently made an application for supplementary welfare allowance. An officer of the Department sent a supplementary welfare allowance application to the person concerned on 15/01/18. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There is no record of an application for a Jobseeker's payment having been received by the Department from the person concerned. In order to make an application for a Jobseeker's payment, either Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker Allowance, the person concerned should be advised to present to their local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office and complete the required application forms,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. An application for carers allowance was received from the person concerned on 21 August 2017. The application was awarded on 10 January 2018 and first payment will issue to their nominated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: There is an increasing awareness and evidence of abuse of the elderly and research has shown that one of the areas of significant abuse can be financial abuse. I believe, however, that the majority of persons acting as agents collecting social welfare payments for customers unable to do so themselves, do so out of a genuine caring disposition and act in good faith. The existing legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Inspections (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department administers over 70 schemes and services. It processes in excess of 1.7 million applications per annum and issues 81 million payments per year to 2.1 million customers and their families. It is not possible to give a definitive breakdown of the average length of time it takes social welfare inspectors to process cases in each county, given the range of services and activities...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Programme (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is responsible for the legislation underpinning the social welfare code and for a number of other areas of legislation, as follows: - Occupational and Private Pensions - Civil Registration and Gender Recognition - Redundancy and Employer’s Insolvency - Citizens Information Board (Comhairle) - Employment and Labour Law The main provisions of the Social Welfare code are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: An application for increase for qualified adult in respect of the person concerned has been received and is currently being processed. As increase for qualified adult payment is a means-tested payment, further information has been requested to facilitate the Deciding Officer to determine entitlement. On receipt of the requested information, the application will be considered and written...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: This Government continues to be committed to maintaining the post office network and for An Post to remain a strong and viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focussed network of post offices in the community. My Department’s support for An Post is equally apparent. We have again renewed the contract for cash payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is a scheme that allows persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments the opportunity to pursue a course of study, while still maintaining their income support, subject to satisfying a number of conditions. The conditions include progressing in the level of education held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on 29 September 2017. In order to qualify for CARB both the applicant and the care recipient must have a Personal Public Service (PPS) Number. As the care recipient, who lives in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: At present, there is an initiative in place which allows Community Employment (CE) participants aged 62 or over to apply to extend their participation on CE beyond the standard lifetime participation limits, providing the CE eligibility conditions are met. Participants are allowed to participate on a continuous basis up to the State Pension age, subject to satisfactory performance on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (16 Jan 2018)

Regina Doherty: Policy in respect of treatment of annuities and approved retirement funds for tax and social insurance is a matter for the Minister for Finance. The current position is that approved retirement funds or ARFs are funds managed by a qualifying fund manager into which an individual may invest the proceeds of their pension fund when they retire. The income and gains of such funds are exempt...