Results 9,861-9,880 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1829 and 1830 together. The aim of employment schemes like Community Employment (CE) and Tús is to enhance the employability and skills of unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. These schemes help unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payments Data (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1831, 1867 and 1901 together. In recognition of the on-going rental market difficulties, the Department continues to implement a targeted case-by-case policy approach in the administration of rent supplement that allows for flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the rent limits. In addition, the Protocol arrangement in place with Threshold...

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

Regina Doherty: In all, approx. 2.8m Public Services Cards (PSC) have issued since SAFE registration commenced in 2011. 66% of adults resident in the State have now completed registration to SAFE Level 2 (substantial assurance of identity) which is the minimum for issue of a PSC. SAFE registration facilities are available at over 100 of the Department’s locations nationally, and in at least one...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1836 and 1838 together. The current Child Benefit rate is €140 per month for each child. For twins, the rate is one and a half times the normal monthly rate for each child. For triplets and other multiple births, Child Benefit is paid at double the normal monthly rate for each child, provided at least three of the children remain qualified. In...

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

Regina Doherty: Maternity Benefit is paid by my Department and is based on payment of PRSI contributions while working. The current entitlement to paid maternity leave is 26 weeks. The table below estimates the additional cost of increasing the duration of paid maternity leave by 16 weeks to 42 weeks and by 26 weeks to 52 weeks. These estimates are based on the cost for a full year and assume that any...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension 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 13thJune 2017.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 Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department immediately activated its humanitarian assistance scheme, administered by the local Community Welfare Service (CWS), to assist householders in County Donegal affected by flooding following the recent severe weather conditions. The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged...

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 (CA) from the person concerned on 27 June 2017. The application was awarded to the person concerned on 4 September 2017 and the first payment will issue to his nominated bank account on 26 September 2017. Arrears of allowance due from 29 June 2017 to 25 September 2017 will issue shortly. The person concerned...

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

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 8thAugust 2017 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

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

Regina Doherty: The rate of supplementary pension coverage in Ireland is 47% of the working population and this reduces to 35% when the private sector is considered in isolation. Whilst the State pension provides a reasonable basic level of income and guards against poverty in retirement, if measures are not taken to address this low rate of coverage, many future retirees will experience unwanted reductions...

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

Regina Doherty: In all, 2.8m Public Services Cards (PSC) have issued since SAFE registration commenced in 2011, and 66% of adults resident in the State have now completed registration to SAFE Level 2 (substantial assurance of identity) , which is the minimum for issue of a PSC. SAFE registration facilities are available at over 100 of the Department’s locations nationally, and in at least one...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1849, 1852, 1930 and 1931 together. In all, approximately 2.8m Public Services Cards (PSC) have issued since SAFE registration commenced in 2011. At the time of the commencement of the roll-out of the Public Services Card (PSC) in 2011, the then Data Protection Commissioner requested that controls be put place to ensure that PSCs were getting to the...

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

Regina Doherty: The roll out of Public Services cards is demand led. As a result it isn’t possible to precisely predict the volumes of cards will be issued or their costs over a given period of time. My Department has made a provision of some €5.2M to cover all costs associated with the PSC project in 2017. The Department’s estimates for 2018 and 2019 have not been finalised with the...

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

Regina Doherty: While a single document business case was not produced in the early 2000’s, the Department did endeavour, in as much as was then possible, to set out the constituent elements of a business case in the 2004 and 2005 Memoranda for Government and various associated papers (including the Accourt Study into the PSC and the SAFE Business Requirements). In his 2015 Report on the Accounts...

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

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy will be aware, 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. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. The service was rolled out on a phased basis over the period mid-2015 to July 2016. The numbers referred...

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

Regina Doherty: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. The programme helps break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also conscious of the valuable...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1855 and 1857 together. The aim of the JobPath service, which is provided for jobseekers only, is to assist them in finding sustainable full-time paid employment. Community Employment ( CE) schemes provide part-time work experience and training opportunities in local communities as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a range of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (11 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. Job Path 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: Disability 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 20thMarch 2017.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...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1859, 1860 and 1920 together. The Department’s EU and International section, which includes a separate Brexit Unit, is led by an Assistant Secretary. The Brexit Unit has, at present, three additional staff assigned to it and reports directly to the Assistant Secretary. These are two Assistant Principals, one on a full-time basis and one on a...