Results 1,721-1,740 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Recruitment to my Department is done on foot of competitions which are administered by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Details of the number of staff recruited by way of various PAS competitions in the year to date are shown in the following table. The figures include existing staff who have been successful in PAS competitions. In addition to the permanent staff detailed in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Chief Appeals Officer has advised me that the discussion in relation to the use of ‘test cases’ before the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection on 5th December 2019 related to a particular set of circumstances dating back to the early 1990s where a number of cases involving a number of employers in a particular sector were selected as so called 'test...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Services for People with Disabilities (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Through the Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS), my Department provides financial assistance to private sector organisations to undertake staff development in order to assist the integration of people with disabilities into the workforce and to eliminate mistaken perceptions about the capacity of people with disabilities to be productive and effective employees and colleagues. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Data (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. The number of recipients of Farm Assist at the end of November 2019 by county. County Recipients Carlow 50 Cavan 208 Clare 248 Cork 436 Donegal 1,116 Dublin ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Brexit Expenditure (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has not incurred any expenditure on advertising in respect of Brexit in 2018 or to date in 2019. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2019.  The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Legal Cases Data (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Costs incurred by the State in personal injury cases brought to court involving properties occupied by my Department are managed by the State Claims Agency. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving compensation against the State such costs are incurred by the State Claims Agency.  The figures for the years requested are set out as follows: 2016 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Capital Expenditure Programme (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: My Department has a Headquarters Building and Intreo Centre in Dundalk and an Intreo Centre in Drogheda. The buildings are fitted out to modern standards and are regularly maintained. There has been no capital expenditure by my Department associated with these buildings over the past four years. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office was established in 1990 and operates independently of  the Department. The role of the Office is to determine appeals against decisions of Deciding Officers/Designated Persons of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on social welfare entitlements and insurability of employment.  The main legislative provisions governing...

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: In budget 2020, we announced that recipients of carers' payments would be allowed to increase the number of hours they work, train, study or attend a training course outside of the house from 15 hours to 18.5 hours per week. This increase to 18.5 hours will accommodate increased participation by carers in the workforce or in training and will, it is to be hoped, strengthen their connection...

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The first amendment asks me to make a report on having increased the hours and not the disregard. What I said in the report I gave the Senator and again in my most recent contribution is that 92% of the people who currently receive carer's allowance have no means and, therefore, increasing the disregard will have no effect on them whatsoever. Only 0.1%, the tiniest percentage of people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent Community Employment Sponsoring Bodies.  The contract agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: To be in receipt of a Jobseeker's payment from my Department an individual must be capable of; available for and actively seeking full time employment. This applies to all individuals who are on a jobseeker's payment and are on the Live Register.  For those jobseekers up to the age of 62 they are required to engage with the Department’s activation services, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: As part of Budget 2020, I announced that recipients of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Carer’s Support Grant would be allowed to increase the number of hours they can work, study or attend a training course, outside the home, from 15 to 18.5 hours per week.  An additional 1,200 family carers are expected to benefit from this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (17 Dec 2019)

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. The person concerned is in receipt of CA for one care recipient since 6 November 2014. I confirm that my department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Applications (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Free Travel Scheme operated by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection allows people who are age 66 years or over and who are permanently residing in the State to travel free of charge on most public transport. I am advised that the records of the Department show that the person concerned is not resident in the State and therefore does not qualify for a Free Travel Card...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to full-time carers. The Grant cannot be paid to a person who receives Jobseeker’s Allowance or Benefit. The level of care that must be provided to qualify for the Grant means that a person cannot also be available for full-time work. The person concerned received payment of Jobseeker’s Allowance from December 2017 to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: As of 11th December 2019, my Department has referred 225 cases of suspected identify fraud, which were identified using facial matching system, to the Department's Special Investigations Unit for further investigation. To date: - 36 cases have been finalised in court. The sanctions imposed by the Courts in these cases are as follows - 16 custodial sentences, 6 suspended...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The facial image matching software used by my Department is supplied by Thales Ltd. This software facilitates facial image verification and comparison by my Department. To facilitate the SAFE registration and for Public Service Card (PSC) production processes, the Department uses software (Daon Capture/Cognitec Face VACS) to support the capture of a facial image using a webcam/camera and to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Applications (17 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to full-time carers. The person concerned has been awarded 2019 Grants in respect of both persons being cared for. The person has also been awarded the 2018 Grant in respect of one person. The Grant is paid at a rate of €1,700 in respect of each person being cared for, and a total amount of €5,100 will lodge to her...