Results 21,441-21,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. The waiting lists and processing times for carer’s allowance were unacceptable in 2012 but significant improvements have been made in the past year by my Department. The backlog of carer’s allowance applications has been eliminated and processing times have improved greatly, with new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. Following...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department processes over 2 million applications annually in respect of various schemes and services. These applications are processed by deciding officers who are appointed under legislation to make decisions on a customer's eligibility. The relevant legislation provides that decisions on social welfare claims must be set out in writing and signed by the deciding officer. Other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pensions Data (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Invalidity Pension is a payment for people who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity. Medical Assessors review a medical report in line with evidence based medical protocols and Departmental guidelines to determine medical eligibility for the scheme. A person's continuing medical eligibility for the scheme can be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal was registered on 06th March 2013 and in accordance with statutory requirements the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010, which was enacted on 21 July 2010, provided for significant reforms to the One-Parent Family Payment. The purpose of these reforms is to tackle long-term poverty and welfare dependency among OFP recipients and to provide these customers with access to the Department's INTREO services. This will provide them with the necessary supports...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the table below. From the information available it is not possible to provide a median figure per employee for the specified years in the time available. - 2012 2011 2010 2009 Number of staff in Department* 7,141 5,315 5,207 5,105 Total number of working days lost due to sick leave 89,013 71,680 64,377 69,323 Average number of working...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned should contact his Social Welfare Local Office or Citizens Information Centre at the earliest available opportunity whereupon he can discuss any possible further entitlements outlined in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 05th June 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 case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

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

Joan Burton: The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker’s allowance. It was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. Farm assist recipients retain all the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as retention of secondary benefits and access...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Pensions Board is a regulatory agency under the aegis of my Department and is responsible for regulating occupational pensions. There is no cost to the Exchequer for the administration of the Pensions Board as the costs are borne by way of fees on pension schemes. For information, the 2012 costs were: total income €5.6; total expenditure €6.6 million; administration...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: There are no semi-State organisations operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: No new semi-State organisations have been established under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection since March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance already supports unemployed jobseekers wishing to engage in self-employment. It is generally considered that mentoring and advice – possibly delivered through start-your-own business training – can prove to be a valuable asset to a person starting out on their self-employment venture. In addition, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The reason that the Department of Social Protection (DSP) is taking the lead role in the implementation of the Youth Guarantee Scheme (YGS) is because the YGS is primarily concerned with activating young people, who are not in work, into employment through employment services, work experience, internships, education or training. Given that labour market activation is the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 121 together. Securing EU Council approval for an EU wide Youth Guarantee was one of the priorities of the Irish Presidency and I am pleased to say that current approval was secured during my chairmanship of the Council of European Employment and Social Welfare Ministers (EPSCO). I am determined that the Youth Guarantee be implemented as quickly and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Ballymun pilot project is due to start 4 months after getting approval for our proposal from the Commission. The latest communication from the Commission has intimated that a decision on proposals will be made by the end of this month. Hence, if approved, the Ballymun pilot can be expected to start in October. The various stakeholders will be brought together during the initial...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (19 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeal Officer's decision on 11th June 2013. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...