Results 1,661-1,680 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision.  The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 21 February 2020. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension Eligibility (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Death Benefit Pension/Widow’s Occupational Injury Pension is payable in cases when a person dies as a result of an occupational accident or prescribed occupational disease, or if immediately before death they were in receipt of a Disablement Pension for a loss of faculty of 50% or higher, their widow, widower or surviving civil partner may be entitled to a Death Benefit Pension. A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provided for an increase in the age for qualification for the State pension from 66 years to 67 years from 2021.  Social welfare legislation states that jobseekers payments may be made until a person reaches pensionable age and also provides that the definition of "pensionable age" will increase as State pension age increases. This means...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new demands across a wide range of services.  This is to ensure that the best use is made of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. My department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 6 February 2019.  It is a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 15 May 2019. A person can be considered to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disablement Benefit (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Disablement Benefit is one of the benefits payable under the Occupational Injuries scheme to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or prescribed occupational disease.  It is medically assessed to determine the loss of faculty which can range from 1 to 100 per cent.  Injuries or diseases sustained since 1 January...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned on 16 December 2019. Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is generally final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Appeals (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 9 June 2016 and was awarded a pension at 90% of the maximum rate with effect from their 66th birthday. Their pension entitlement was subsequently reviewed in February 2019 under a new total contributions approach to pension calculation which includes provision for homecaring periods. The person concerned indicated that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that in determining the eligibility of an applicant for a social assistance scheme, all income, assets and property (apart from their main residence) that the applicant (and his or her spouse/civil-partner/cohabitant) holds, is assessable for the purposes of the applicable means test.  While some elements of the means testing arrangements are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Department has filed an appeal against the Enforcement Notice within the timeframe provided to do so.  As the matter is now before the Courts, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Where my Department examines cases of suspected identify fraud and, following investigation, finds that there are no issues with regard to identity, no further action is taken.  I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Carer's Support Grant is an annual payment made to full-time carers. The person concerned applied for a Grant in respect of her sister-in-law. The person concerned advised that she provided 2 hours care, on 5 days each week. I am advised that the person's claim was refused on the ground that this was not regarded as sufficient to meet the care requirement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities.  The programme helps break the cycle of unemployment and improves a person’s chances of returning to the labour market.  Participation on CE is intended to be for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. Carer's benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 2 October 2019. A person can be considered to be providing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Appeals (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income tested, in-work payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children relative to family size. The person concerned was awarded WFP on 15 July 2019. They appealed the rate of WFP awarded and their appeal was submitted to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) for determination....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.  The Social Welfare Appeals Office does not maintain statistics on a county by county or district basis in relation to appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot intervene in, or comment on, the pension arrangements applying to a particular pension scheme as such arrangements are a matter for the pension scheme trustees, the companies participating in the scheme, the scheme members and the Pensions Authority. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (5 Mar 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department has committed to conducting research into pension ages across the EU and engaging with key stakeholders including the trade unions, in making recommendations and reporting on the appropriate State Pension Age to ensure adequate and sustainable pension provision, in compliance with Section 26 of the Social Welfare (No 2) Act of 2019. The establishment of a...