Results 261-280 of 7,690 for speaker:Regina Doherty in 'Written Answers'

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

Regina Doherty: The procurement of consultancy services supports my Department in providing analysis that contributes to policy development. Details of the consultancy service providers engaged by my Department since the start of this year are set out in the following table: Name of Consultant Details of Consultancy Expenditure Ruth Fitzgerald Legal...

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. 1194, 1210, 1211 and 1248 together. 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.  This emergency payment supports people of working age from 18 and up to 66 years old who became unemployed on or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: Entitlement to disability allowance is based on satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. In order to qualify for the scheme on medical grounds a person must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect which has continued or may reasonably be expected to continue for a period of at least a year and as a result of the...

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

Regina Doherty: 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 to the COVID-19 pandemic, to receive supports directly from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Student Support Schemes (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1198, 1255 and 1300 together. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Education and Skills, represents the primary support for persons pursuing third level education.  The matter of supports for students for the forthcoming academic year should be referred to the Minister for Education and...

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

Regina Doherty: The Income Support Helpline referred to by the Deputy was established in March 2020 to provide customer information and support in relation to a range of income supports for people affected by the income impacts or health impacts of COVID-19.  This includes the new Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Enhanced Illness Benefit for Covid19, other relevant income supports...

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

Regina Doherty: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below. In order to qualify for the payment, the applicant must: - be aged between 18 and 66 years old and - be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1201 and 1257 together. The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 for the fuel season) from October to April, to over 369,000 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...

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

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1202 and 1203 together. The 2020 Revised Estimates Volume was published in December 2019 and the estimated overall expenditure for Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for 2020 was €21,204.4 million (€21.2 billion). The expenditure incurred for Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection scheme payments in April of...

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

Regina Doherty: 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 number of turbulent years and an examinership process, it must be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1205 and 1237 together. Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 19,200 recipients. For the period 18th April – 6th May some 3,300 claims are currently either in payment (1,800 tenancies awarded) or under...

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

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 November 2019.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.  These papers...

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

Regina Doherty: The cost of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment was €111 million in March 2020 and €770 million in April 2020. The cost of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was €22.8 million in March 2020 and €636.1m in April 2020. A similar level of expenditure is expected on these schemes in May and for the earlier part of June.  Expenditure beyond this will be dependent upon...

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

Regina Doherty: Following the Government decision to implement a scheme for people who lost their jobs from March 13 due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection officials embarked on the extensive task of putting procedures in place to process and issue payments to the significant numbers of customers claiming COVID-19 unemployment and illness related...

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

Regina Doherty: It is a condition for receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment that the person should have lost their job as a result of the Covid-19 crisis but have been  in employment immediately prior to the 13th March 2020. I am advised that my Department has no record of an application for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment being received from the customer but I can confirm...

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

Regina Doherty: The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes a number of obligations on employers who are proposing collective redundancies, including an obligation under sections 9 and 10 to engage in an information and consultation process with employees’ representatives and to provide certain information relating to the proposed redundancies.  Section 11A of the Act provides that, where an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: All customers making a claim for, or in receipt of a jobseekers payment must satisfy the deciding officer that they fulfil the conditions for receipt of a payment under that scheme. The genuinely seeking work and availability requirements remain for all jobseekers. Jobseekers should continue to make efforts to secure employment with a view to taking up such employment when the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Medical Aids and Appliances (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: I am advised that my Department has undertaken a review of the social insurance record of the person concerned and can confirm that she is entitled to the hearing aid grant under the Department's PRSI scheme.  An approval notification will issue to the person shortly. I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: The Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services.  The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant.  Spending on these payments in 2020 is expected to exceed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (20 May 2020)

Regina Doherty: My Department introduced a series of measures to maintain social welfare payments while assisting with social distancing measures designed to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. Fortnightly payments were introduced to minimise the need for people to attend and queue in banks or post offices to collect payments, so helping people restrict their movements to essential activities...