Results 9,821-9,840 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The jobseeker’s allowance scheme provides income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2017 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s allowance scheme of €2.16 billion. Social welfare legislation provides that a person is not entitled to jobseeker’s allowance while...

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

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that all income and property (excluding the family home) of the claimant and his or her spouse/partner is assessable for means assessment purposes of social assistance schemes. The purpose of contingency based income support payments such as Disability Allowance is to provide an income to those who have no other source of income (or only a very...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 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 6 June 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8 August...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1778 and 1779 together. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, including extra documentation as required and the evidence adduced at oral hearing, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned as he does not fulfil the statutory requirement of the habitual...

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

Regina Doherty: The following tables provide a breakdown of political staff employed in this Department for the years requested: An Tánaiste Joan Burton TD Year: 2015 Position held Annual salary Chief of Staff to the Tánaiste €144,550 Economic Advisor to the Tánaiste €114,424 Special Advisor to the Tánaiste €79,401 Special Advisor to the Tánaiste...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The living alone increase is an additional payment of €9 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension, incapacity supplement or blind...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 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 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

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

Regina Doherty: My Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 November 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. It is a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Services Programme (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the community services programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a socially inclusive nature. The contribution from the CSP is towards the wage costs of the companies. My Department does not set the wage rate but requires the payment of appropriate wage rates, consistent with local norms. My...

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

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was awarded Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) at €100 per week from 25 August 2016 after her job had ceased. The Department received information on 2 February 2017 that the person concerned was a full time student on a third level course from 12 September 2016 while concurrently in receipt of her JA payment. As a consequence her Jobseeker’s Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: In Ireland, as in other countries, the contributory pension (which is one of three pensions paid by the Department of Social Protection to those over 66) is aimed primarily at people with sustained contributions towards the Social Insurance Fund which finances it, on a pay as you go basis. Contributions to the Fund are rewarded with greater entitlements and coverage for a range of benefits,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Agreements (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The social security agreement between Ireland and the Republic of Korea, which is provided for in the Social Welfare (Agreement With the Republic of Korea on Social Security) Order 2008 (S.I. No. 552 of 2008), enables periods of social insurance completed in Ireland and in the Republic of Korea to be taken into account, where necessary, by either State in order to qualify for certain benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 1 August 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and...

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

Regina Doherty: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 27 March 2017. Carer’s allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 11 August 2017 with effect from 13 July 2017, the date the care recipient was discharged from hospital, and the first payment issued to their nominated post office on 17 August 2017. Arrears of allowance due from 13 July 2017 to...

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

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 21 June 2017. Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 29 August 2017. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: Where a social welfare claimant is in receipt of maintenance payments from a spouse/partner, housing costs incurred by the social welfare claimant (e.g. rent or mortgage payments and/or home improvement loan) up to a maximum of €95.23 per week may be offset against the maintenance payment, with half the balance of the maintenance being assessed as means. These arrangements ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) scheme is available to support persons who are long-term unemployed and wish to develop or take up self-employment opportunities in a new enterprise. The scheme allows a qualified person to retain a reducing proportion of their social protection payment, plus secondary benefits over a two year period. However, it is important to note that if the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The aim of the JobPath service is to assist participants in finding sustainable full-time paid employment by providing intensive individual support and assistance. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for underemployed farmers who are in receipt of specific social welfare supports. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit...

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

Regina Doherty: An application for Carer's Allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 20 July 2017. The application is currently being examined by a deciding officer and once processed, 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: State Pensions Payments (11 Sep 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...