Results 20,461-20,480 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 147 together. As you are aware, there are significant structural and affordability problems with DB schemes due to a range of factors such as an underestimation of longevity, poor investment decisions and the impact of the downturn in financial markets. A range of both administrative and legislative measures have been put in place since 2008 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied to have their family income supplement (FIS) renewed with effect from 5th February 2013. FIS is payable at 60% of the difference between the prescribed income level and the weekly family income. For a family with 2 children, as in the case concerned, the prescribed income limit is €602.00 weekly. A minimum payment of €20 per week is made to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together. The Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment is designed to provide cash income for employees with families who are on low earnings An integral part of the FIS scheme is that once the level of payment is determined, it continues to be payable at that rate for a period of 52 weeks, provided that the person remains in full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation. As at 11th April, 2013, 16,326 internships have commenced with 5,944 participants on an internship and 2,410 internship opportunities advertised on www.jobbridge.ie as of that date. In the context of Budget 2013, the Government increased the number of JobBridge places from 6,000 to 8,500. Accordingly, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection currently operates a number of activation schemes to support people in getting back to work or back into education. Customers who were previously in receipt of fuel allowance and/or household benefits may retain these secondary benefits if they are taking part in programmes such as back to work enterprise allowance, rural social scheme, tús,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Schemes (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for interim measures to support the unemployed and keep jobseekers close to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Expenditure (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €47.6 million for the scheme in 2013. There is no automatic entitlement to a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th February 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) is a one off payment which assists towards the cost of uniforms/footwear in respect of school-going children. An applicant must be in receipt of a Qualified Child Increase with their social welfare payment. The scheme for 2013 is not yet operational. However following receipt of his application in 2012 the customer concerned was paid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, a rules based standard for establishing and authenticating an individual’s identity for the purposes of access to public services. This programme of work, which is known as the Standard Authentication Framework Environment or SAFE for short, also provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Placements (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I understand that in this case the employer concerned has ceased the employment of an existing worker with the intention of recruiting the same worker as an intern to perform the same work duties he performed as an employee. The JobBridge scheme is intended to encourage employers to increase the size of their workforce and to give opportunities to unemployed people from the live register...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is collated by my Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. The total number of recipients of farm assist at 31 December 2012 is listed by county in the attached tabular statement. Farm Assist County 31st December 2012 Carlow 84 Cavan 404 Clare 609 Cork 922 Donegal 1,534 Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has not made an application for an exceptional needs payment. However, the local community welfare service office has contacted him and arranged an appointment for him to see a designated officer.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 29th January 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical assessors who found that the child was medically eligible for the allowance. The person concerned was notified on the 19th March 2013 that her claim was awarded. The first payment including arrears issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Application Numbers (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently 38,387 people in receipt of a weekly family income supplement. Of these, 3,339 (8.7%) are recorded as public servants.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: As per previous PQ (15901/13) Rent Supplement is not payable where accommodation provided by a housing authority is vacated without good cause. The person concerned has not provided any further documentation regarding the reasons for leaving her previous accommodation provided by a housing authority, or that she has a current Housing Needs Assessment. The person concerned has submitted an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service was established to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two elements involve the enhancement of the website www.keepingyourhome.ie and the establishment of a Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Following a statutory means assessment, supplementary welfare allowance (rent supplement) was awarded to the person concerned at €508.86 per calendar month with effect from January 2013. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 08th April 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment is designed to provide cash income for employees with families who are on low earnings. The family concerned have been in receipt of FIS since 21 April 2011. Their latest renewal claim has been awarded, without delay, from 18 April 2013.