Results 20,681-20,700 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Scheme Criteria (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Tús - the community work placement initiative - came into operation in mid-2011 and to date some 7,824 people have completed or are currently serving in work placements provided by community organisations. The purpose of Tús is to support the work-readiness of people who are unemployed for a year or more. For this reason, eligibility is confined to those in receipt of a job...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 17th April 2013. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the person concerned. It can take up to 8 weeks to process an application for DCA.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Disability Allowance appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6 March 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Carers Strategy (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 108 and 110 together. The contribution that people provide in caring for members of their own family is critical for society. It was for that reason that the Government last year adopted the National Carers’ Strategy with a view to giving greater public recognition to carers and their work. Carers receive significant income supports from my...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 119 together. The Rent Supplement claim in this case was suspended, pending establishment of entitlement to a primary social welfare payment. The person concerned made a repeat claim for Jobseekers Allowance in December 2012, following suspension of an earlier Jobseekers Allowance claim that was disallowed in August 2011 which was upheld on appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Applications (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned’s application for a Companion Free Travel Pass was medically assessed by a Medical Assessor on 24 April 2013. The medical opinion has been conveyed to Household Benefits Section, Sligo and the person will be contacted shortly regarding the decision on his application.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that a revised decision favourable to the person concerned was made by the Department of Social Protection in respect of her Domiciliary Care Allowance claim. The person concerned has been notified of this decision. With regard to the Carer’s Benefit appeal of the person concerned, I am advised that an Appeals Officer having fully...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Since it commenced on 1 July, 2011, Jobbridge has made exceptional progress. At 18 April, 2013, 16,545 had commenced internships, 5,947 individuals were on internships and 2,452 internship opportunities were advertised. The recent independent evaluation of the Scheme found that 61% of interns have progressed into employment on within five months of completing their internship. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (25 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 31 January 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 case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Labour Court recommended in July 2008 that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for community employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors, and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS. Notwithstanding the positions of the Department (who now has responsibility for CE) in rejecting that liability for these costs to be met from public funds, this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 30 October 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made a repeat claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance in December 2012, following disallowance of an earlier claim in August 2011 which was upheld on appeal in September 2012. Following investigation, the current Jobseekers Allowance claim has been disallowed as the person concerned failed to provide evidence of their circumstances and means. The person concerned has a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: According to our records, no claim for rent allowance has been received from the person concerned. She should contact her local Community Welfare Officer if she wishes to make such a claim.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (25 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a rent supplement payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently over 86,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million for 2013. The total spend on rent supplement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Funding (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service ( MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes and people living on social welfare payments. In 2013, the Citizens Information Board has been allocated a budget of approximately €47.5 million of which some...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Reliefs Cost (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Employee's PRSI free allowance, to which I presume the Deputy is referring, amounted to €127 per week (for those paying PRSI Class A, E and H) and €26 per week (for those paying PRSI Class B, C, and D). The allowance was abolished as part of Budget 2014, with effect from 1 January 2013. The PRSI free allowance was available to those with weekly earnings over €352...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Death Certificates Issues (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together. Provision for the voluntary registration of stillbirths is contained in section 28 of the Civil Registration Act 2004. The definition of a "stillborn child" is contained in section 2(1) of that Act and provides that a stillborn child means a child who, at birth, weighs not less than 500 grammes or has a gestational age of not less than...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 323 together. As outlined in the previous reply referred to by the Deputy, in general a person that is detained in prison is disqualified for payment throughout the period of detention subject to a small number of limited exemptions. Included in the ‘other scheme’ category, there were two rent supplement overpayments recorded in 2011 as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (30 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: This department provides grant aid to Community Employment Schemes for the employment of supervisors. There has been no reduction in the level of funding made available for these purposes in the past four years. Previous adjustments in this grant aid related to pay increases covering Phase III (2.5%, March 2008) and Phase IV (2.5%, September 2008) of Towards 2016 in late 2008/early 2009 and...