Results 10,161-10,180 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Based on EUROSTAT Labour Force Survey data, the number of Irish long-term unemployed was 80,000 in Q4 2016, as compared with 9,278,000 in the EU overall. The situation in Ireland has improved substantially both in absolute terms and relative to the EU average in the last few years. The number of long-term unemployed here peaked at 204,000 in Q1 2012 at a time when the EU number was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register, including young people. To date,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 769 and 770 together. Section 7 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides for a review of the Act to commence within 2 years of enactment of the legislation. Officials in my Department are currently making preparations for the review which is due to commence in September. The terms of reference and the composition of the review group have yet to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) has statutory responsibility for Citizens Information Services (CIS) and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). The functions of the Board are set out in Section 7 of the Comhairle Act, 2000, as amended. Under the legislation, the Board can directly provide, or support the provision of, independent information, advice...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The process for selecting board membership of the new sixteen regional boards has not yet been defined by the Citizens Information Board (CIB). Some discussions have taken place on this topic at the regional consultations, held by CIB in May 2017. Further consultations are planned over the summer months on a number of themes, one of which includes recruitment to the sixteen regional company...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: On 3 March 2015, eight vacancies, including that of Chairperson, arose on the Citizens Information Board due to the expiration of existing terms of appointment. In the absence of a quorum, Board meetings scheduled for 25th March 2015 and 20 May 2015 did not take place. The Board held meetings in June, October and December 2015, and in February, Julyand October 2016. Section 13 (1) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 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 Feasibility Study, commissioned by CIB and carried out the Pathfinder, was presented to the Board of CIB in September 2014. Following the Board meeting, a copy of the report was issued to all boards and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for providing information, advice (including money and budgeting advice service) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through a network of delivery partners, which includes 51 local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) and 42 local Citizens Information...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The legislative provisions governing membership of the Citizens Information Board (CIB) are contained in the Comhairle Act 2000, the Citizens Information Act 2007 and the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011. The legislation provides that the Board of CIB shall consist of 15 members appointed by the Minister, one of whom shall be designated by the Minister as chairperson and that the quorum...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. The management boards of each Citizens Information Service are separate independent legal entities. The Citizens Information Board does not routinely receive copies of local service delivery partner company board meeting agendas or minutes. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Citizen Information Services (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) has statutory responsibility for Citizens Information Services (CIS) and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) services countrywide. In November 2014, the Board of the Citizens Information Board decided to restructure the local CIS and MABS networks. In October 2016, the Board decided that the new structure should be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Following the publication of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme – earlier in the year, the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions around participation on Community Employment (CE). The main purpose of these changes is to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and to...

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

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. It is designed to be a temporary fixed-term activation intervention. The programme assists participants to enhance and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Community Employment (CE) participants and supervisors are not employed by my Department – rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. Given that situation, the State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for such employees even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. It is open to individuals to make...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. Social Welfare claims by average waiting times 31 May 2017 Scheme Average Waiting time - (weeks) Jobseeker's Benefit 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 2 One-Parent Family Payment 5 State Pension Contributory 5 Widow’s, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension 1 State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: The average appeal processing times to date in 2017 for all scheme types where the appeal was decided by an appeals officer, broken down by oral hearing and summary decision, are set out in the following table. The time taken to process an appeal reflects all aspects of the appeal process including the time spent in the Department preparing the appeal submission. The quasi-judicial nature of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (11 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Maternity benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions on their own insurance record.The benefit is payable for 26 weeks at a rate of €235 per week with possible increases for adult and child dependents. An online claim facility provides customers with a convenient and effective method of submitting a maternity...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Equality (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Section 7 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides for a review of the Act to commence within 2 years of enactment of the legislation. Officials in my Department are currently making preparations for the review which is due to commence in September. While the terms of reference and the composition of the review group have yet to be finalised, I would like to assure you that the views of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together. The Deputy may wish to note that the self-employed PRSI contributors will be eligible to qualify for the Invalidity Pension scheme with effect from December next. This is a major reform as self-employed people will now have access to the safety-net of State income supports, without having to go through a means test, if they become...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Jul 2017)

Regina Doherty: Notification was received from the Revenue Commissioners on 3 March indicating that the person concerned had commenced employment. As is normal in such cases the Department contacted the customer to establish the circumstances and correspondence commenced. Following receipt of the customer’s correspondence on 12 and 21 March 2017 an official in the Department contacted them by phone...