Results 9,661-9,680 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (26 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Following an investigation undertaken by the Special Investigations Unit and based on the information available to the Department, a departmental error is not considered to have occurred in this case. The person concerned has been informed of her right to appeal the decision of the Deciding Officer to the Social Welfare Appeals Office which functions independently of the Department. I trust...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 8 August 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Expenditure on pensions, at approximately €7.3 billion, is the largest block of expenditure in my Department. Demographic change alone will increase this by over €220 million this year. The ‘marriage bar’ describes a rule that existed in most of the public service and some private sector employments, where women were required to leave their employment upon...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (21 Sep 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 a range of social insurance benefits including state pension (contributory) and widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension (contributory),...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s benefit from the person concerned on 8 August 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested (where available) by the Deputy is detailed in the following table Recipients of Living Alone Allowances by Scheme and Gender 31 August 2017 Scheme Male Female Total Disability Allowance 17,735 10,828 28,563 Invalidity Pension 4,971 4,692 9,663 State Pension (Non-Contributory) Pension 13,174 19,922 33,096 State Pension (Contributory) 38,166 34,291 72,457...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: At the end of July there were a total of almost 2 million recipients of a payment from my Department benefitting over 1.7 million children. A detailed breakdown by scheme (where available) is attached for the Deputy’s information. Number of Recipients and Children benefitting from a Social Welfare payment at 31 July 2017 Scheme Recipients Full Rate Qualified Child Increase Half Rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to low income households, at an estimated cost of €229 million in 2017. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220, 221, 224 and 229 together. The cost of increasing the qualified child increase by €3.20, from €29.80 to €33 per week, is estimated at €62.4 million in 2018 and a full year. This includes the costs associated with the Back to Work Family Dividend (€2.3 million), the weekly rate of which is based on the rate of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are currently nearly 57,000 families with more than 126,000 children in receipt of FIS. The estimated spend...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Referrals to the JobPath companies end under contact on 31st December 2019. The JobPath contract does contain a provision for early termination. It requires my Department to serve six months written notice on the contractor. The information in relation to payments, if any, associated with termination of the contract, is both confidential and commercially sensitive and to publish same would...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 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: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting 38,600 recipients at a cost of €253 million in 2017. The Department carried out a review of the rent limits in 2016 with the commitments contained in the Programme for a Partnership Government and increased limits were introduced in all areas of the country with effect from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The rates of the payment for the 2017 scheme were increased from €100 to €125 for children aged 4 to 11 and from €200 to €250 for children aged 12 years and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (21 Sep 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 around 619,880 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with one or more qualified children. The scheme provides additional financial support to employees on low pay. One of the conditions for receipt of FIS is that an applicant or the applicant and spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As part of the jobseekers claim review process, the person concerned was requested by a Social Welfare Inspector to submit documentation so as to clarify their current means. The person concerned failed to supply the required documents within one month. The Deciding Officer (DO) disallows the claim as it was not possible to establish that, based on the information available to them, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The rent supplement claim for the person concerned was disallowed as she failed to provide documentation that would allow an accurate assessment of her entitlement. As previously stated in PQ Ref No. 32039-17, the person concerned has appealed this decision and her case has been referred to the Appeals Office. The Appeals Office has not yet made a decision on the case. The appeals process...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department has a number of supports available for those involved in part time work or on low earnings, depending on their circumstances, this would include Family Income Supplement or casual jobseekers payment. The person concerned had submitted a jobseekers application to the Department previously, but unfortunately did not supply the required documentation and therefore the Deciding...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with one or more qualified children. The scheme provides additional financial support to employees on low pay. One of the conditions for receipt of FIS is that an applicant or the applicant and spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38...