Results 10,061-10,080 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizens Assembly (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The rate of supplementary pension coverage in Ireland is estimated at just 35% of the working population when the private sector is considered in isolation. If measures are not taken to address this low rate of coverage, many future retirees will experience unwanted reductions in their living standards when they reach retirement. Therefore, I both welcome and support the outcome of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled by my Department and will be provided to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: My department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 15 December 2016 in respect of the provision of care to both her parents. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person(s) being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Appeals (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Further to PQ Ref: 23425 the position remains unchanged. The decision to refuse an application for an exceptional needs payment in the case of the first person concerned was reviewed and the decision of the designated officer upheld. There are no outstanding applications pending in the case of the persons concerned. It is open to the persons concerned to submit a fresh application for an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned has been awarded a jobseekers payment from the department with the first payment issuing this week, including all arrears due. I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that it is intended to convene an oral hearing in order to determine the appeal of the person concerned. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The requirements for the allocation of a Personal Public Service (PPS) Number are: - acceptable evidence of identity, which for EEA citizens is a current valid passport or national ID card where issued; - evidence as to why a PPS Number is required (i.e., to carry out a transaction with a State body specified in legislation as permitted to use the PPS Number); and - acceptable evidence of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: A Public Services Card is issued to an individual following a robust registration process to establish and verify the person’s identity. Part of the required evidence of identity for a non-EEA national to get a Public Services Card is a current valid passport. The person concerned has been asked to attend with her passport, but has not yet provided it. I hope this clarifies the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: According to the records of the Department, the person concerned is in receipt of the correct level of Rent Supplement for a person of her circumstances and family composition. The Deputy will be aware that Dublin as has been designated as a Rental Pressure Zone (RPZ). Under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, rents are only permitted to be increased...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: 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 increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 1%, 2% and 5%, is provided in the table below. % Increase in Rate of Employer...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1215, 1218 and 1220 together. It should be noted that the rate of back to education allowance for jobseekers on age-related reduced rates of payment will increase to the €193 rate from September 2017, as announced in Budget 2017. The full year cost in 2018 of increasing the weekly rates of jobseeker’s allowance and supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Remuneration (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1216 and 1217 together. My Department has undertaken no costing of the initiative outlined by the Deputy as the introduction of any such scheme would necessarily have to take place on a cross Governmental basis and costs determined centrally as part of the estimates budgetary process. Pre-determined salary scales negotiated at central level are applied to all...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The telephone allowance was abolished in Budget 2014. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Expenditure (13 Jul 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 627,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: According to the latest census figures, in 2016 there were 593,411 people aged 66 and above in the country, and this would have increased in the period since then. Paying each person aged 66 and over a Universal State Pension weekly rate of €250 that year would have cost over €7.7 billion, if restricted to people resident in the State and not including those who have...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The cost implications of reversing all cuts and changes to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) since 2008 are very complex to estimate and would require significant resources and time to prepare. There are three significant barriers to undertaking this costing exercise. Firstly, by reversing the amendments made to the OFP scheme, this would likely result in a substantial cohort of lone...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Expenditure (13 Jul 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 allowance is being paid from mid-July to allow parents sufficient time to prepare for back to school. The rates of the payment for the 2017 scheme are being increased from...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Leave (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1225 and 1226 together. The estimated additional cost of extending the duration of maternity benefit is approximately €10.3 million for each extra week, at the current rate of €235 per week. Maternity benefit is currently paid for 26 weeks. The table estimates the additional cost of increasing the duration of maternity benefit by 16 weeks to 42...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I understand that the Deputy is referring to a total of 18 months leave which would be shareable between parents rather than an additional 18 months of sharable leave on top of the current provisions. The Department of Justice and Equality have responsibility for maternity and paternity leave which are provided for in the 1994 and 2004 Maternity Acts and the Paternity Leave and Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Maternity Benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions in order to avoid the need for them to work pre and post-delivery of their baby. The original scheme was introduced in 1970 and was extended to include self-employed mothers with effect from June 1997. In 2017 it is...