Results 9,241-9,260 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 85 together. The General Scheme of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2017, which was published in May, contained a number of key measures to respond to the ongoing difficulties in defined benefit schemes and to increase protections for members. The proposals provide for – i) the introduction of a time limit for submitting funding proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Data (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: A Public Services Card (PSC) and an online account called MyGovID may be issued to a person following successful completion of an identity verification process known as SAFE 2. This process authenticates a person’s identity to a substantial level of assurance. Accordingly, SAFE 2, the PSC and MyGovID are investments in the future of public service provision. They will allow all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 72 together. The independent review completed by Indecon of the changes to the one-parent family payment since 2012 provides a robust and thorough analysis of these changes. I am grateful to Indecon for their work on this and welcome the findings of the review. The Report supports the rationale and continued relevance of the policy changes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: All of my Department’s major programmes and operational schemes, including the SAFE/Public Services Card (PSC) Programme, are included in the Department’s Business Planning and Risk Management System, and are reported on every quarter. Additionally, all projects are reviewed by the Department’s Programme Governance Committee (comprising the Department’s most...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Leave (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 1187 together. On 3 October 2017 I, together with my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan T.D., announced increased maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers whose babies are born prematurely. Under the new arrangements, in addition to the current 26 weeks of paid maternity leave a mother will be entitled to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (7 Nov 2017)

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. An application for CA can be disallowed because one or more of the qualifying conditions are not satisfied or because insufficient evidence is provided at application stage to establish...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage Introduction (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Low Pay Commission was established through the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. Its principal function is, once each year, to examine the national minimum hourly rate of pay and to make a recommendation to the Minister regarding the rate, ensuring that any recommendations are evidence based, fair and sustainable, and do not create significant adverse consequences for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Rates (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Scope insurability section in my Department makes statutory decisions on insurability of employment under the Social Welfare Act. Employers, employees or the self-employed may apply to Scope for an investigation of an employment status and a determination of the correct class of PRSI. Decisions are based on all available evidence, including a report from a social welfare inspector where...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Bogus self-employment is where employees and employers wilfully evade income tax and social insurance liabilities. Departmental social welfare inspectors carry out visits to a wide range of businesses, as part of their ongoing compliance operations. Inspections can be undertaken jointly with other State agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners and the Workplace Relations Commission. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: insertheading (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: In 2005, the Government approved a rules-based standard for establishing and authenticating an individual’s identity for the purposes of access to public services. This standard is known as the Standard Authentication Framework environment – or SAFE. A person who successfully completes a SAFE 2 registration process (i.e. verifies their identity to a substantial level of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Section 34 of the Pensions Act 1990 provides the legislative basis for minimum transfer values for defined benefit schemes. It sets out that regulations may prescribe how the transfer payment is to be calculated in accordance with professional guidance issued by the Society of Actuaries or other person, including the Pensions Authority and the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Creation (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register. The Pathways to Work 2016-2020...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Telephone Support Allowance (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The new weekly Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) of €2.50 will be paid from June 2018. People in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance and also Fuel Allowance will automatically qualify for the TSA. It is expected that approximately 124,000 customers will qualify for the scheme at a cost of €16 million in 2018. The primary objective of the TSA is to allow the most vulnerable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: All dealings and decisions made by corporate or individual trustees of occupational pension schemes are governed by legislation and enforced through the supervision of the Pension Authority. Legislation together with the trust deed and scheme rules set out the trustees’ duties and responsibilities. Trustees of pension schemes must act in the best financial interests of the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The risk of fuel poverty is influenced by a combination of fuel prices, weather, income and the heat efficiency of housing. My Department will continue to ensure that those on low incomes and those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty are supported through the fuel allowance and the household benefits package. The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: Self-employed people who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. This provides them with access to the following benefits: State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension (contributory), guardian’s payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. There are no barriers for any person in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment taking up part-time employment once they continue to be available for and actively looking for full-time employment....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: The area of employment rights is now encompassed within my remit since last September and I would be concerned that any employee is not paid for work carried out. Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment protection legislation designed to protect all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis. Therefore, once it is clear that a person is working under a contract...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Reviews (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1169, 1198 and 1199 together. Section 7 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides for the Minister to undertake a review of the Act. On Friday, 3 November, I announced that Ms. Moninne Griffith will chair the group set up to carry out the review.Ms. Griffith is Executive Director of BeLonG To, the national organisation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (7 Nov 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1170, 1171 and 1257 together. 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...