Results 1,001-1,020 of 7,690 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I have recently received the draft of the new social inclusion strategy "Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2019-2025", and intend to bring it to cabinet committee and government for review and approval as soon as possible.  I expect that the new strategy will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In Budget 2020, I again increased the income disregard for the One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker Transition Payment.  This will increase to €165 per week in January and includes profit from self-employment.  In addition, I increased the hours that carers can study or work – including self-employment - outside the home from 15 hours to 18 and a half hours per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting approximately 18,300 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019. The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose; that of a short-term income support has been primarily facilitated by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The Fuel Allowance is currently a payment of €22.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €630 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €240 million in 2019.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: In Budget 2020, I announced funding to support a research project by the Irish Hospice Foundation which intends to examine funeral poverty in Ireland and the wider economic impact of bereavement.  The amount which I have allocated as a once off contribution to the cost of this research is €60,000 for 2020, and will support the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: This Government has committed to making the needs of families a priority, especially lone parents, children and those on lower incomes. Over the previous three Budgets, personal weekly rates have been increased by €15 per week with proportionate increases for those with a qualified adult dependant.  Payments to qualified children have also increased, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I have noted with interest the contributions made by all parties during recent the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Scheme of the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The Bill carries forward the long-established distinction between ‘tips and gratuities’ on the one hand and ‘service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The customer's review application for Invalidity Pension has been medically assessed on 18th October, 2019  by one of the Department's Medical Assessors and the medical opinion has been conveyed to a Deciding Officer in the Invalidity scheme area who will be in contact with the customer in due course. I am advised that additional staff are being allocated to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together. Over the past 20 years Ireland's supplementary pension coverage rate has remained stubbornly low.  The most recent CSO data relates to 2018 and this reports that only 47% of the working population have supplementary pensions.  It is estimated that this rate reduces to just 35% when the private sector...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Under the Government’s Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023, a number of specific actions have been allocated to the Interdepartmental Pensions Reform and Taxation Group (IDPRTG).  The IDPRTG is chaired by the Department of Finance and includes representatives from that Department as well as from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Act 2014 introduced a positive duty on public bodies to have due regard to human rights and equality issues. My Department’s mission is to promote active participation and inclusion in society through the framework of employment rights and the provision of income supports,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: As stated in the 'The Roadmap for Pensions Reform', the Government proposes to begin implementation of a supplementary retirement savings system, known as Automatic Enrolment (AE), by 2022.  AE will see a transition from the current and purely voluntary system to one which will, subject to certain parameters, automatically enrol employees into a quality assured retirement savings...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: An increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to a State pension (contributory) claimants whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit. As part of my Department’s commitment to ensuring that claimants...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statements. Table 1:Total number of Carer's Allowance claims disallowed in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to end September 2019. 2015 2016  2017  2018  September 2019  Claims disallowed 7,920 11,144  ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. Recipients of a non-contributory state pension payment at the 31st of December 2013 to 2018 and to date together with the percentage variance year on year. December 2013 December 2014 December 2015 December 2016 December 2017 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 215 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.  The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The number of dental claims received in the last four years and to date in 2019 is as follows: 2015 - 312,659 2016 - 319,618 2017 - 417,336 2018 - 804,375 2019 - 719,233 to end September.   I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The number of optical benefit claims paid in each of the last four years and to date in 2019 is shown below: 2015 - 163,974 2016 - 164,469 2017 - 229,240 2018 - 451,249 2019 - 372,237 to end Sept. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting approximately 18,300 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019. The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose: that of a short-term income support has been primarily facilitated by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 2019)

Regina Doherty: The type of social welfare payment currently taking the longest to process is Child Benefit, EU Regulation Claims with an average time to award of 24 weeks at the end of September last. These claims require my Department to source information from other EU member states, which may take some time. I note, however, that the average number of such claims per year is approximately 4,000 -...