Results 21,801-21,820 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Reform (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The key principles underpinning the design of the Department’s application forms are the use of clear and simple language, with consistent layout and presentation across both online and paper forms. All primary application forms are designed to facilitate the use of scanning and automated processing. This ensures that the application is processed as efficiently as possible and that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Estimates for the Department of Social Protection as published in the 2013 Revised Estimates (REV) provides for expenditure of €20.243 billion on schemes, services and administration in 2013. The Estimates are based, in the main, on an analysis of trends as regards likely numbers of recipients and average value of payments in 2013. Actual trends on individual schemes are being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Office of Public Works is responsible for the provision of the Department's property requirements, including refurbishment and fit out works.The Intreo roll-out for upgrading accommodation operates on a rolling programme and is heavily weighted towards a significant number of offices completed by the end 2013 and the remainder throughout 2014. Preparations are underway in Ballyfermot and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is collated by the Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report which is laid before the Dáil when published and copies lodged in the Oireachtas library. Furthermore these reports are available to the public at www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Annual-Statistical-Information-Repor ts.aspx. I enclose for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 100 and 108 together. There are currently 83,210 people who receive the one-parent family payment (OFP). The cost of the OFP scheme was €1.06 billion in 2012 and is estimated to be €935 million in 2013. In 2013, on foot of the OFP reforms which came into effect on 4 July, it is expected that up to 9,300 recipients will leave the OFP scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: While the Recommendation for an EU-wide Youth Guarantee Scheme was adopted during the Irish Presidency, the implementation of the scheme across the EU has yet to begin. It is recognised, both in the Youth Guarantee Recommendation itself and more generally, that the pace of implementation must take account of the scale of the youth unemployment and inactivity challenge and consider the fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Under family law provisions, it is possible to apply to the court for an Attachment of Earnings Order. An Attachment of Earnings Order can be sought if the person is in employment, on social welfare or in receipt of a private pension, resulting in the maintenance being deducted at source. Under the Family Law Act 1995, it is possible to apply for this attachment at the initial maintenance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Creation Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Pathways to Work initiative launched last year signalled the potential of contracting with third party providers to complement the existing capacity of the Department of Social Protection and the Local Employment Services to deliver employment services. The potential contribution of such contracting and the design of a contracting approach has since been considered by the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that, with effect from 1 July 2013, community welfare services (CWS) for the Balbriggan area, which were previously administered from Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, have transferred to Balbriggan Social Welfare Local Office, Mill Street, Balbriggan. As a result, all CWS services for the Balbriggan area are now delivered locally. Local TDs and the Citizen...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Scheme Numbers (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: At June 2013 there were 895 participants on drug rehabilitation places on Community Employment. Seventy-four per cent (664) of these places were in the Dublin Region and a further 14 per cent (125) were located in Cork Central. Table 1 details drug rehabilitation places by region. There is no special allowance for participants on drug rehabilitation places however there are special...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned will be contacted by an officer from this Department in order to discuss her case.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 106 together. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals. In order to manage this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Statistics (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The definition of unemployment used in the above-mentioned survey is self-defined unemployment as opposed to the stricter definition used by the ILO. This can mean that people who are not working but who are also unavailable for work such as students and carers may be classified as unemployed in such a survey. The methods used in the survey can also be questioned (e.g. door-to-door surveys...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity. In order to ensure adequate controls of the scheme expenditure, the continuing eligibility of persons in receipt of IP is reviewed periodically in accordance with their assessed risk of a change in circumstances. During 2012, there...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I take it that the Deputy is referring to Deputy Ó’Snodaigh’s Private Member’s Bill which was introduced in Dáil Eireann on 22 May 2013 but which has not yet progressed beyond First Stage. I am satisfied that any legislation providing for the recognition of the acquired gender of transgender persons will have to be more comprehensive and detailed than that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Scheme Numbers (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Government, as part of the Budget package for 2013, announced a number of initiatives focused on providing work opportunities for jobseekers, including the provision of 10,000 additional work placements across a number of schemes. The additional placements on community employment, Tús and JobBridge have already been rolled-out and are in the process of being filled by the sponsoring...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The ruling by the European Court of Justice was in response to a reference by the High Court seeking clarification of the interpretation of European law emanating from EU Directive 2008/94EC on the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. Following the ECJ ruling, the matter will now revert to the High Court for consideration. Given this matter remains...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 110 together. The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The term 'habitually resident' conveys a degree of permanence and implies a close association between the applicant and the country from which payment is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed under its Learning and Development Strategy to provide opportunities for the education and development of its staff. The Department recognises that investment in learning leads to improved performance and productivity, increased employee engagement and better customer service. Business areas offer development opportunities to staff through internal training,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Payments (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: 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 the Department of Social Protection so that people can continue...