Results 241-260 of 7,690 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as a time-limited, emergency income support measure to meet the dramatic surge in unemployment as a consequence of the pandemic. Applicants for International Protection accommodated under the system of Direct Provision operated by the International Protection Accommodation Services of the Department of Justice and Equality are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Company Closures (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Firstly, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all Debenhams workers who are dealing with job losses at this difficult time. As deputies are well aware, with the exception of grocery outlets, the retail sector has been particularly affected by the economic turmoil caused by Covid-19. Having come through a number of turbulent years and an examinership process, it is regrettable that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I understand this question to be related to the recent emergency legislation which was enacted by way of Section 29 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. This measure effectively suspends the provisions of Section 12 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 (as amended) which relate to the rights of an employee to claim a redundancy entitlement from their employer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The data requested in respect of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is not routinely collated on an individual county basis and as a result is not available. National data, for 2019, the last full year for which data on DCA is available, is shown below. Details of the applications processed in 2019, together with the outcomes, both at initial decision stage and subsequently on appeal are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) 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 Government has provided €53.98m for the scheme in 2020 which operates from June to September. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an income support payment for both employees and the self-employed who have become fully unemployed due to a downturn in economic activity related to Covid-19. One of the qualifying criteria for this payment is that the person is aged between 18 and 66 years....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: To verify a MyGovID account, a person must have authenticated their identity through the SAFE registration process and also verify their mobile phone number. By verifying their mobile number, a security code can be sent to them to verify their account. They are also sent a security code to their number each time they use your MyGovID account to access government online services. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1019 and 1020 together. Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 20,400 recipients. The scheme provides short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payment (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Under the Supplementary Allowance scheme, the Department may make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. Decisions are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as a time-limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. For self-employed people, they must have experienced a collapse of income and be available to take up other full-time work if it was available to them in order to qualify. Where a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that the information requested in respect of the breakdown by profession of working age persons diagnosed with Covid-19 by the Deputy is not available in my Department, it does however fall under the remit of my colleague in the Department of Health. However estimates of the employment sector for those medically certified for the Enhanced Illness Benefit claim are available each...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Department offers income supports through a range of social insurance benefits and means-tested social assistance payments. Entitlement to social insurance benefits, such as Illness Benefit, is dependent on a person's Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution history. Where a person does not have sufficient contributions to qualify for a social insurance benefit or reaches the end...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Company Closures (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1176 and 1214 together. Firstly, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all workers faced with the prospect of closure and job losses at this difficult time. With the exception of grocery outlets, the retail sector has been particularly affected by the measures we have had to take in response to the spread of Covid-19.  Having come through a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1177 and 1229 together. The Revenue Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is one of a number of measures to provide financial support to workers affected by the Covid-19 crisis. The scheme is operated by the Revenue Commissioners and enables eligible employees, whose employers’ business activities have experienced significant negative disruption due...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1178 and 1243 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Basic weekly SWA may be paid to customers awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic Violence (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1179, 1180, 1183 to 1186, inclusive, 1188 to 1191, inclusive, 1251, 1277, 1279, 1281, 1283 and 1286 together. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The co-ordination of the services addressing the needs of these customers is managed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1181 and 1232 together. The emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced as a time-limited emergency measure so that payments can be made as quickly as possible to the large number of people who have become fully unemployed due to the pandemic. During the month of March, my Department received and processed jobseeker claims equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1182, 1245 and 1278 together. The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as an emergency time-limited measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. This emergency payment was introduced to support persons aged between 18 and up to 66 years old who have lost their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Given the need to pay the Covid Pandemic Unemployment Payment as expeditiously as possible, Section 202 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 was used.  This section allows for the provision of payments in urgent cases by way of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.  The Covid-19 pandemic and resultant immediate economic impact is unprecedented and created an urgent requirement...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1192, 1221, 1222, 1223 and 1224 together. This week, my Department issued COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment payments valued at over €200 million to 585,000 people. Projected expenditure for up to 12 weeks payment is in excess of €2.2 billion. The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, published by the Government on 1 May 2020 sets out...