Results 1,621-1,640 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1174 and 1175 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, take full advantage of the education provided to them. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme (MIS) was to provide short-term support to eligible people who were unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence due to temporary unemployment of loss of earnings. The mortgage interest supplement scheme was discontinued to new entrants from 1st January 2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (13 May 2020)

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 until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-December 2019, to over 637,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The estimated cost of increasing the age limit of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and jobseeker's transition payment (JST) rate to €245 would be very difficult to estimate with any great accuracy. At the end of January there were 39,533 OFP and 15,234 JST recipients. As these are means tested schemes, many customers in receipt of these payments are working or have alternative...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that the estimated cost of increasing the age limit of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) to 14 and the earnings disregard to €175 would be very difficult to estimate with any great accuracy. There are a number of significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. Firstly, an increase in the age limits could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of Disability Allowance by €62, from €203 to €265 per week, is €505.7 million. This cost is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2020 and is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of these estimates. This cost includes proportionate increases for qualified adults.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of carer's allowance for those aged under 66 and increasing the rate of carer's benefit is €113.5m. As the rate of carer's allowance paid to those aged 66 and over is currently €257, no additional costs arise. These costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Applications (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: An application for state pension non-contributory was initially submitted by the person concerned on 24 September 2019. I am advised that on the 23 October 2019 the person’s file was forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for interview of the applicant and determination of their income and assets for the purposes of the applicable means test. On 5 November 2019, the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions paid by employees, employers, self-employed people and voluntary contributors is income to the Social Insurance Fund and not to the Vote. Any increase in the rate of PRSI contribution, including that paid by employers, would increase the annual income to the Social Insurance Fund. It is estimated that increasing the public and private sector...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: An application for the Household Benefits Package was received from the person concerned on 6 September 2016. A cash Electricity Allowance and Free TV Licence were awarded with effect from the applicant's 70th birthday, the 15 August 2016, the earliest date of qualification.This allowance continues to be paid to the person's nominated bank account on the first Tuesday of each month at a rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Government is committed to enhancing the position of the self-employed through improving the level of PRSI based benefits available to self-employed people and through a supportive tax regime. Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which covers them for access to long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory), widow's, widower's or surviving...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1187 and 1198 together. A number of income supports are available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for people whose employers do not continue to pay them during a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) related absence or temporary lay-off from work A person who is medically required to self-isolate or has been diagnosed with Covid-19 in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Pre-entry credits are awarded when a person takes up insurable employment for the first time and pays a full rate PRSI contribution (excluding contributions paid at class B, C, D, J and S). Pre-entry credits are awarded from the beginning of the relevant contribution year up to the date of commencement of that employment. Pre-entry credits in the year the employment commenced can be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Minister for Justice and Equality has policy responsibility for parental leave. My Department has responsibility for the payment of parent’s benefit which is provided for in the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019. Parent’s benefit is paid for 2 weeks per parent at a rate of €245 per week in respect of all children born on or after 1 November 2019. In...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department is obliged to recover all debt owed to it as quickly as possible and within the relevant legislation and guidelines governing the recovery of debt. The person concerned has an outstanding debt and proposals on its recovery have been made to her. Under social welfare legislation, a weekly deduction of 15% of the personal rate of all payments can be deducted without written...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Payments (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department is very mindful of the situation of low income families and one parent families during the current outbreak of COVID-19. A lone parent who is currently in receipt of the One Parent Family Payment, or the Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, who loses their employment due to COVID-19 can apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This Pandemic Unemployment Payment can be paid...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department is taking all necessary measures, in line with the advice of the Department of Health, HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), to respond to the significant challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. In March, in order to comply with social distancing requirements, the Department introduced fortnightly payments instead of weekly. The purpose of this change...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261 million in 2020. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Payments (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to playing its part in the overall Government, and indeed national, response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Department is very mindful of the situation of families and people during the current outbreak of COVID-19 and is continually reviewing the impact of and supports available to those affected. The Working Family Payment provides support for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (13 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: This Parliamentary Question does not fall under the remit of my Department. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has no function in regard to disconnections and does not apply any sanctions of this kind. Disconnections and Sanctions for unpaid energy bills are a regulatory matter for the Independent Regulator. I hope this clarifies the matter.