Results 9,001-9,020 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Social Welfare Bill: Second Stage (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of this Bill is to provide the legislative framework for the implementation of the social protection measures contained in budget 2018. It includes the provisions required to enable a €5 increase in the maximum rate of all weekly social welfare payments. It provides for a €2 increase for each qualified...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I thank the Chairman and members for the opportunity to put forward the Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. We are seeking a Supplementary Estimate of €10 million for the 2017 budget in order to fund the Christmas bonus, which is due to be paid to Vote 37 social assistance recipients next week. Overall, the Christmas bonus is...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I thank Deputies for their questions. Almost all of them raised the same matters so instead of answering them individually, I will speak in general terms. Of course, one would love to be able to give a bonus of 100% given where people have come from in recent years. To be fair, however, Deputies must accept that the reason I am here today is that I am looking for more money. If I were...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes. It might not be under the subhead that the Chairman is referring to. As long as somebody needs that support, he or she will get that support from some subhead of the Department. There are no new entrants. The numbers are diminishing. As they continue to diminish, that is better for their own personal finances. As long as somebody meets the criteria and needs that support from the...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes. The Social Insurance Fund is in surplus to the tune of €600 million but, as everybody has seen from the actuarial review, it quickly will not be in surplus. If we do nothing else except carry on, knowing the increase in demographics in that particular category over the next few years, within a short few years this fund will be in deficit and in the medium term it will be in...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: As soon as it goes to Cabinet, absolutely. It is not a lengthy report. The data behind the report refer to the individuals.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Yes. As I stated, there are 42,000, the records of half of whom are electronic. Half of the records are paper records. The report that I would expect to be able to publish is a synopsis of the overall problem in the area, the cost of the problem and the positions that I would suggest and set out to fix the problem. Once I get an agreement at Cabinet on that solution, it certainly will...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I would hope so.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I beg Deputy O'Dea's pardon. We are going live on 1 December. The Department is conducting an advertising campaign and everything is ready to go. If the Deputy is anxious that it is not, he might give me-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Deputy O'Dea might give me a shout and we will talk about it. However, it absolutely is. The criteria are the same. The total contributions that are required are the same for an employed person. It is exactly the same. It is merely extending the same rights to invalidity pension to the self-employed as exist currently for employees. If the Deputy has concerns, I ask him to let me know...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: It was not an external report. The report was compiled by a senior officials group across the three Departments - Revenue, my Department and the Department of Finance. The reason it has not been published is because I am only considering it. It is being worked on. As soon as I have worked through the report, it will be published. I am exceptionally clear in this area. I look forward to...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: If nothing else, that is what is driving me, not the money. If we get money, we will spend it. Whether we get it from the recovering economy or from this pot, we will spend it. We will spend whatever money we get. The driver for me is that there are people in precarious positions who could be let go this Friday through no fault of their own. They do not get paid sick leave or paid...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I hope the Chairman knows that I agree with him.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: A change to legislation can only take effect on the day it is brought in. I will rule that out clearly and emphatically for anybody listening. There is no possibility or way for us to introduce something retrospectively. I will take responsibility for the mixed messages that the Deputy may be getting. The last day I was here, I answered a question from Deputy O'Dea and had hoped to be in...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: We will do that at the Cabinet sub-committee.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I have no problem being hung out to dry for this but that week we had a conversation here and what I said that day still stands. The following Friday morning in Cork, a local regional newspaper announced that we would not only pay people, but that we would be giving them back-pay which they would get within the next number of weeks. I had no hand, act or part in the report of that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 3 August 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, composition of the household, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Data (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a contribution record statement to all customers who require one. The main facility for accessing social insurance contribution statements is now online, via the MyWelfare.ie application. This service was introduced on 27 January 2017; and details of how to register are available at: . However, if any customer is not in a position to use the online...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Data (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a contribution record statement to all customers who require one. The main facility for accessing social insurance contribution statements is now online, via the MyWelfare.ie application. This service was introduced on 27 January 2017; and details of how to register are available at: . However, if any customer is not in a position to use the online...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (23 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. The State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for such employees even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. It is open to individuals to make provision for a pension by way of PRSA which all employers are obliged to facilitate. ...