Results 9,921-9,940 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1913 to 1919, inclusive, 1921 and 1923 together. The comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach ” published on 2 May outlined in detail the structures put in place by the Government to ensure a strategic and whole-of Government response to Brexit...

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

Regina Doherty: The Department held an All-Island Sectoral Dialogue on 16 February last, hosted by my predecessor. The theme of this stakeholder engagement event was ‘Brexit: implications for social welfare pensions, social insurance and social welfare rights-entitlements’. The event was attended by some 40 people from civil society and the Department’s citizen representative groups,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2018 (11 Sep 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Mid-Year Expenditure Report, published in July, sets out the Pre-Budget Ceiling for the Department of Social Protection for 2018. The amount included in this ceiling reflects certain demographic pressures primarily relating to the state pension and anticipated savings from reductions in expenditure on the Live Register. As part of the Budget Estimates process, the forecast of changes in...

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

Regina Doherty: Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. Fuel allowance is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. Up until now fuel allowance was payable as a weekly payment only. I recently announced that the Department’s fuel allowance...

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

Regina Doherty: An application for State pension (non-contributory) was received from the person concerned on 16 August 2017. A request for further information issued to the person on 29 August 2017 and their reply was received on 4 September 2017. The case is currently being considered by a Deciding Officer. When a decision has been made, the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay....

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1932 and 1933 together. My Department (on behalf of the public service) entered into a contract for the production, personalisation and distribution of 3 million Public Services Cards (PSC) by the end of 2017. To date, over 2.8 million cards have been issued. As the initiative is demand-led, it isn’t possible to predict precisely when three...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1934 and 1935 together. Telephone is the preferred method of communication for many of the Departments customers. The Department is commencing a review of the use of Lo-call numbers from a customer service perspective. Lo-call numbers have been in operation for the Department’s scheme areas for a number of years. These have been coupled with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Dental Services (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The cost of providing services under the treatment benefit scheme is dependent on the demand for such services from qualified customers. As a result, the annual cost of re-introducing the scale and polish treatment can only be estimated at this time. If the demand for this treatment is in line with the 2009 out turn (the last time the scale and polish treatment was provided under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding through the humanitarian assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1471 and 1472 together. 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 estimated increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 2% is provided in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The savings arising from the initial reduction and subsequent discontinuance of the telephone allowance meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. My Department will spend approximately €232 million this year on these elements of the household benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as the State pension in successive Budgets. The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716, and this represented an increase of approximately 4% on 2012. Based on a similar yearly increase each year since 2013, it is estimated that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1475, 1521, 1522, 1523 and 1560 together. The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to over 390,000 low income households. This payment assists these households with the higher energy costs that arise in that period. It is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments – Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance – that are conditional on the recipient...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 23 March 2017. The application was awarded to the person concerned on 19 July 2017 and the first payment will issue to her nominated post office on 27 July 2017. Arrears of allowance due from 23 March 2017 to 26 July 2017 will issue shortly. The person concerned was notified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Data (26 Jul 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: Disability Allowance Appeals (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1479 and 1491 together. 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 31stAugust 2017. The person concerned will shortly be notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (26 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1480 to 1484, inclusive, together. 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 Ltd and Turas Nua Ltd. At present there are over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (26 Jul 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 10th August 2017. The person concerned will shortly be notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...