Regina Doherty unsure if she will be Taoiseach's nominee for Seanad
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty has not ruled out that she could be a nominee by the Taoiseach for the Seanad.
Ms Doherty, who lost her Dáil seat in the recent general election, told RTÉ radio’s Today with Séan O’Rourke show that she had made peace with the loss of her seat some weeks ago, but she was now “not at peace” and was “conflicted.”
“I don’t know what’s for me. I will deal with things as they happen … Never say never … What’s for you won’t pass you.”
It had been a privilege to lead her department at this time of crisis, she said and she had never been busier. “We will do what we can do to help people.”
The priority for her department is “to get things back to the new normal, we will do what we have to do.”
Ms Doherty defended the decision to extend the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment to students who were part-time workers. Students were a small proportion of the number of workers who were now out of work “through no fault of their own.”
For the vast majority of people the value of what they were receiving through the pandemic payment was “a lot less than what they earned last week,” she said.
Anyone aged 18 to 66 who had lost their income because of Covid-19, regardless if they were staff, self-employed or in the gig economy, could apply for the payment, she said.
Those over the age of 66 who were still working or in part-time employment could apply for supplementary welfare income. Ms Doherty said she had confidence in the scheme.
After the crisis has passed everything will be considered to reboot the economy, she added. “Everything will be on the table and nothing will be ruled out.”
