Results 1,941-1,960 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 45, 63, 68, 69, 71 and 74 together. I know sometimes it annoys people when we take all these questions together but they are all obviously about the same topic. The questions show the extent of the concern and appreciation that we all have and share in the House for the CE scheme itself and in particular for CE supervisors. I thank Deputy Heydon for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The net cost is not small beans. It is €215 million a year every year. In no context could €215 million a year be called small beans. The purpose of successive governments in doing this was to recognise that we are living longer and many people want to work longer. I agree we need to change the practices and mindsets of some of our employers not to be pigeonholed to a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am pleased that the Government recently approved significant elements of the design for our proposed automatic enrolment retirement savings scheme. These include key decisions on the target membership, the contribution rates, the policies on opting-out and re-enrolment, the administrative arrangements and organisational approach, and the investment options. As stated in A Roadmap for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: If people who are ill are not making a contribution to their pension scheme because they are not working, obviously the State and the employer will not be making the pension scheme contributions either. We might need to look at that in the future. We always have the State non-contributory pension for people who do not have a full contribution history to get a State pension as a kind of a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: It cannot be very big and expensive. It will be just a governance agency, responsible for the regulations and ensuring the fiduciary responsibilities are being met by the providers of the pension pot. I am not sure whether the Deputy is aware from the memorandum I brought forward but there is a cap of 0.5% on all administrative costs. That includes the running of the central processing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: The specific cost to households of the increase in carbon tax would vary depending on a number of factors, notably, the energy efficiency of the homes of the fuel allowance recipients and the amount and type of fuel they use, among other factors. Last year, the ESRI published its report on the economic and environmental impacts of increasing the Irish carbon tax. The report indicated...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am not sure I agree with the statement Deputy O'Dea just made that the other schemes are open to everybody. The ambition in the plan is to address the houses that are most energy deficient before we get to people who live in more energy efficient homes. We have a plan to reach every household between now and 2030. We are all aware that the world is changing. The way we use energy will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: To provide for sustainable pensions and facilitate a longer working life, successive Governments have considered the sustainability challenges faced by the pensions system as a result of changing demographics in Ireland. As far back as 2007, the then Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Martin Cullen, launched the Green Paper on Pensions, which proposed raising the pension age. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I think we are all suffering from a bout of changing our minds.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: With respect to Deputy Penrose, I was a lowly backbencher in 2011 when Labour Party Ministers were sitting at the Cabinet table that made this decision. Nothing has changed since, other than that there are more people working. We have thankfully a jobs led recovery and the Social Insurance Fund is now in a small surplus. When the Labour Party entered government in 2011, the fund was in a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reports (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I have received just recently a copy of the completed report on the impact of the age-related rates on young people from my officials. I am reviewing the report and intend to publish it and make it available to the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. On budget day, I announced the abolition of the age-related rates for 25 year olds and for those aged 18 to 24 who...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reports (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Under the Pathways to Work 2016-2020 review, my Department committed to reviewing and reporting on the impact of the reduced rates on young jobseekers. The review involved a very comprehensive and detailed analysis of the data. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth, undertook research that examined the effectiveness of the reduced rates in encouraging young jobseekers to avail of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reports (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: To reconfirm, I received the report yesterday. I will read it between now and the weekend. I have the Social Welfare Bill to contend with this week, among other matters, as part of my schedule. I will read the report. I will meet my officials next week to discuss any of the actions that may arise from the findings in it. As soon as I have that done, I will issue it, publish it and give...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I just have to say for the record that, as a woman, it is my prerogative to change my mind frequently, and I certainly do so. In budget 2020, the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, announced an increase in the carbon tax rate. He has committed that all of the funds raised by increases in the carbon tax will be ring-fenced to protect those most exposed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: To date, the Data Protection Commission, DPC, has not issued an enforcement notice, although I understand that one is being prepared. On receipt of the notice, the Department will consider its scope and terms and will respond appropriately at that time. I am advised that the findings in the Data Protection Commission's report do not have the force of law until such time as they are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I cannot say that I am or I am not. What I will say for the record is that I, as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, am not responsible for the roll-out or usage of the PSC in any other Department or offices or agencies under their auspices. It is up to each individual line Minister to engage with Government e-services and decide how they want to employ them.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: As the Deputy is well aware, because he was in government when the card was brought into being, it is not my Department's card or scheme. This is a whole-of-Government scheme that was launched by his colleagues, the former Ministers for Finance and Social, Community and Family Affairs. It was also clearly defined from day one. I do not give compliments very easily to Opposition Members...

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I am pleased to be in the Seanad to outline the contents of our new Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill. As Senators will know, the key purpose of this Bill is to enable the implementation of the social protection measures contained in budget 2020, while also serving a number of other purposes. It includes important measures to ensure I will be in a position to implement the Low Pay Commission's...

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: Yes

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Regina Doherty: I thank the four Senators for their contributions. I thank Senator Davitt for his supportive words regarding the negotiation of the budget. Some of the input I got, particularly from Deputy Cowen, was very helpful. I give an absolute guarantee that when I and the Government collectively have knowledge of how Brexit is going to turn out - I hope we will have a clear picture by next Friday...