Results 9,761-9,780 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures), published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2014, includes a target to reduce by two-thirds, the number of children in consistent poverty in 2011 by 2020. Meeting this target means lifting 102,000 children out of poverty. Under this Framework, the Department of Children and Youth...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. Access to BTEA at postgraduate level is available to persons who wish to pursue a postgraduate course of study that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include Community Employment (CE) and JobPath. JobPath aims to place people into full-time sustainable employment. The period of engagement with the service for any individual is typically 52 weeks. During that time they receive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures), published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2014, includes a target to reduce by two-thirds, the number of children in consistent poverty in 201,1 by 2020. Meeting this target means lifting 102,000 children out of poverty. Under this Framework, the Department of Children and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Programme for Government commits to increasing the State pension and the living alone allowance above the rate of inflation. It also supports increases in payments to people with disabilities and carers. Budget 2017 provided for a €5 increase in the maximum rates of payment across all weekly schemes, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Following the coming into effect of the Labour Affairs and Labour Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017(S. I. No. 361 of 2017)on the 1st of September, responsibility for employment rights policy and legislation transferred from the Minister of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to myself as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. 11...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. Customers receive their free licence directly from my Department upon qualifying for the household benefits package and their entitlement remains valid for as long as they continue to receive that package. There are 429,463 customers in receipt of the free television licence as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 683 and 686 together. As the Deputy is aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has statutory responsibility for the Citizens Information Services (CIS) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), decided on 15th February 2017 to restructure its governance arrangements to a regional model, comprising eight 8 CIS and 8 MABS companies. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) has statutory responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS) and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). A full Cost Benefit Analysis on the new sixteen regional board model has been commissioned by CIB and is due for submission to the Board of CIB in September. As highlighted previously, cost savings is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 685 and 689 together. In February 2017, the Board of Citizens Information Board decided to restructure its governance arrangements to a regional model comprising sixteen companies, 8 Citizens Information Services (CIS) and 8 Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) companies. The aim of the change is to improve the effectiveness of the control...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme Applications (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The persons concerned claim for Mortgage Interest Supplement was disallowed on 18/7/12 as they had not entered into and complied with an alternative repayment arrangement with their mortgage provider for a period of 12 months prior to their claim (Section 198 of The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, Subsections 5AA, 5AB and 5AC). The person concerned was advised at the time to contact...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal by the person concerned having been received by that office. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. Prior to the capping of expenditure at 2010 levels and the subsequent cut of €5 million in the 2014 Budget for the Free TV licence scheme, payments were made to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, (DCCAE) for the Free TV licence scheme on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) 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 Government has provided €47.4 million for the scheme in 2017 which operates from June to September. In order to qualify for the allowance claimants must be in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to partially allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Chief Appeals Officer has assured me that appeals are dealt with as quickly as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department was not aware that there was an issue with its staff not using the on site parking facilities provided at its office at College Road, Sligo. On foot of the concerns expressed by the Deputy, a notice has issued to all staff members highlighting the issue. The Department will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 29 March 2017. 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. The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: During their time on Community Employment (CE) participants are encouraged and supported to work towards a major award/industry recognised standard of achievement to support progression to employment and further training and education. Participant training leading to an award on the National Framework of Qualification (NFQ) includes awards at QQI Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 or industry recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is designed primarily to support second chance education. It is an educational opportunities scheme for persons in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education in order to improve their employment prospects. Entitlement to BTEA is conditional on having on-going entitlement to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 July 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers have been...