Results 10,341-10,360 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Each year more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision, and demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year, not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of persons over 66 years of age in receipt of a State pension; the number of persons in respect of whom the qualified allowance is being paid is detailed in the attached tabular statement. With regard to the estimated number of persons over 66 years of age that are not in receipt of a payment from the State is not collated by my...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: In the third quarter of 2017, my Department will publish the fourth independent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund. The report will include a detailed analysis of the gender breakdown of social welfare pensions. My Department does not produce an estimate of the number of people aged 66 and over who are not in receipt of a State pension.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Each year more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision, and demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year, not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department of Social Protection fully recognises the need to support staff and promote disability awareness. It has been very proactive in the provision of training and supports in this area in recent years, with a very positive response from staff. The Department supports its staff by offering a suite of disability awareness training including Mental Health and Deaf Awareness, Dealing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (20 Jun 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. Seetec delivers the JobPath service in an area which encompasses broadly the northern half of the state. In County Mayo, the service is delivered directly by Seetec (i.e....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: An extension of carer’s benefit was awarded to the person concerned on 2 June 2017 and the first payment is due to issue to their nominated post office on 8 June 2017. Arrears of benefit due from 1 June 2017 to 7 June 2017 will also issue to the post office. The person concerned was notified of these details on 2 June 2017. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The idea behind the Public Services Card (PSC) and its underlying identity registration and authentication process is to provide public bodies with substantial assurance as to the identity of individuals they are providing services to and to provide individuals with greater assurance that their identity can’t be used by anybody else in dealings with public bodies. Registration for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Act Employment Targets (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities, comply with any statutory Code of Practice, meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities and report every year on achievement of these obligations. The National Disability Authority (NDA) reports on compliance with the 3%...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: It is currently estimated that my Department will spend approximately €266 million this year on maternity benefit in respect of an average of 22,000 recipients per week. The table below estimates increasing the duration of maternity benefit by one to twenty-six weeks at the current rate of €235 per week. The table also estimates increasing the duration by one to twenty-six weeks...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: An application for disability allowance was received from the person in question by the department on 16 December 2016. The claim, based upon the evidence submitted, was disallowed by a deciding officer (DO) on medical grounds on 23 March 2017. Further medical evidence was received and a review of this decision was carried out. The original decision was upheld and the person concerned was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The average processing times in May for jobseekers benefit was 1 week and 2 weeks for jobseekers allowance. There are no separate statistics held for seasonal workers. In general, there is no delay in processing jobseeker benefit claims in Intreo Centres if the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation are completed, as required by the customer, in a timely manner. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: In recent Budgets my Department has protected primary social welfare rates. 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. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17 February 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeals from the persons concerned were referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in both cases. Every effort will be made to hear the cases as quickly as possible and the persons concerned will be informed shortly of the arrangements for the oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance Administration (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently over 3,100 persons in receipt of the diet supplement at a cost of €4.6 million in 2017. Following the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2025, 2077, 2118 and 2134 together. 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 will be paid from mid-July to allow parents sufficient time to prepare for back to school. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested is currently being compiled within my Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: In recent Budgets my Department has protected primary social welfare rates. 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. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by almost 80 private transport operators. There are currently...