Results 9,481-9,500 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department is aware that there had been an increase in insurance premiums for Community Employment (CE) schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, my Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. In this context, schemes are asked to be especially...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Temporary clerical staff are recruited to provide cover for permanent staff who are absent on maternity leave, long term sick leave, shorter working year scheme and other statutory leave. They are also recruited to clear backlogs and to assist in the roll-out of the Public Services Card project. These temporary staff are appointed on a fixed-term or fixed purpose contract basis, neither...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Recruitment (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 22 May 2017. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses outside the home for a maximum of 15 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Data (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Currently, Class A employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.5% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €376. Once weekly earnings exceed €376, the rate of employer PRSI is 10.75%. The increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 1%, 1.5% and 2%, is provided in the table. % Increase in 8.5% and 10.75% Rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to almost 622,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The 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. Performance indicators relating to service delivery are set out in detail in the Department’s Customer Action Plan, including processing time targets for the main welfare schemes.The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the delays experienced earlier this year with the processing of maternity and paternity claims have been eliminated and that all applicants who submit a fully completed claim on time now receive a decision in advance of commencing their leave. Maternity benefit and paternity benefit claims are processed in order of commencement of leave date. As of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The 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. Performance indicators relating to service delivery are set out in detail in the Department’s Customer Action Plan, including processing time targets for the main welfare schemes. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. Average time to award claims in the Department’s offices in Cavan and Monaghan at the end of September 2017 Office Jobseeker’s Allowance - (Weeks) Jobseeker’s Benefit - (Weeks) Cavan INTREO 2 1 Ballyconnell Branch Office 3 3 Carrickmacross Branch Office 6 4 Castleblaney Branch...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 31stOctober 2017. The person concerned will be notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (11 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance since 7thJuly 2016 to date. A detailed statement in relation to payments made in 2016 is available on request on the Departments website at the link listed below. The statement will then be sent to the person concerned in the post. .

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) on 4th September 2017. The application was refused as it was considered reasonable that they could provide clothing from their total household income. Their means were in excess of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate.The legislative basis for this decision is Section 201 - Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that, in the assessment of means for jobseeker’s allowance, account shall be taken of any property owned other than the family home, other capital such as savings, and any income including non-cash benefits. Non-cash benefits are defined in legislation as “the net cash value to the person of his or her annual housing costs actually incurred...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The contract with Biometric Card Services (BCS) was signed in December 2009. The value of this contact was just under €18.3 million (excluding VAT) for the production, personalisation and distribution of 3 million Public Service Cards (PSC) plus associated help desk services. To date BCS have been paid €22.9 million (excluding VAT). The increase in costs arises from changes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card Data (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The data that may be displayed and/or electronically stored on the Public Services Card (PSC) is set out at sections 263 (1A) and section 263 (1B) respectively of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). The following sets out where each data item appears or is stored on the PSC:- the name of the person: Face of PSC and Chip - the personal public service number (PPSN) of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Act 2016, enacted on 19 December 2016, included a commitment that a review of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) scheme since January 2012 would be laid before the Houses of Oireachtas within 9 months of the enactment of the Act. The review was to assess the financial and social effects of the OFP changes taking into account the effects on welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension (contributory), all contributions, paid or credited, over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. The homemaker's scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: As a result of more people living to pension age and living longer in retirement the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision. This demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year – not including the impact of rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (10 Oct 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will increase to 67 in...