Results 21,821-21,840 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Prices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently no comprehensive up to date national statistics available on the number of people experiencing fuel poverty in Ireland. The EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions, which is carried out by the Central Statistics Office each year, does however, measure the percentage of the population that said they were unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, over the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department carried out and published a policy review and high level issues paper of all Employment Support Schemes including the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) earlier this year. The review was focused primarily on assessing the contribution certain programmes can make to the Department's activation policy stance. Consultation with stakeholders was identified as a key aspect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of rent allowance from February 2012 to January 2013 and continues to receive other social welfare payments at the same address. Currently my Department is not in receipt of a claim for a rent supplement from her; however she should call to her local welfare service as soon as possible to discuss her accommodation needs. The current rent limits for her...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Property Taxation Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: In the context of its role in processing and making income support and related payments, the Department makes 87 million payments per annum to over 2 million recipients in any year. Payments are based on a range of entitlement conditions and are aimed at serving various social welfare policy requirements. These payments are of various types: universal payments, means assessed payments,...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements. The role and function of the office is to provide and deliver an independent, accessible and fair appeals service in a prompt and courteous manner. Appeals Officers are statutorily appointed by the Minister for Social Protection to act as administrative...

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

Joan Burton: In the year 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, 332 staff members in the Department retired from the Civil Service. In the year 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013 a further 83 staff members retired from the Department. In the year 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, 137 staff were transferred or redeployed into the Department from other government departments and public sector organisations. In the year 1 July...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the "safety net" within the overall welfare system. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance to persons in need who do not qualify for welfare payments under any other social welfare scheme. The Government has provided almost €720 million for the various schemes under SWA in 2013. There are a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Marriages of Convenience (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Marriages of convenience, or "sham marriages" are defined as marriages which are entered into for the purpose of one of the parties gaining an automatic right of residency based on marriage to a person who already has a right of residency. The matter is a complex one. EU citizens and their families have the right to move and reside freely within the territories of the Member States. These...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Topical Issue Debate (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Because of its size and scope, the Department of Social Protection is subject to one of the largest volumes of requests for topical issues. When topical issues tabled to my Department are selected for answer by the Ceann Comhairle, I make every effort to take these debates and will continue to do so. To date I have taken 22 such debates in the Dail, which I understand compares favourably...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term 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 schemes operated by...

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

Joan Burton: I am aware of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) report concerning the role of youth work in supporting long-term unemployed young people with limited qualifications and I am grateful to them for their input. The Youth Guarantee is a major priority of the Department. Securing EU Council agreement for an EU Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee was one of the priorities of the Irish...

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

Joan Burton: The first 12 Intreo offices are now live and it is intended to convert a further 31 offices to full Intreo working by the end of this year and to complete the full roll-out to all 63 offices of the Department in 2014. It is to be noted that key elements of the Intreo model are being rolled-out in advance of the physical modification of offices. Personal profiling is already in place in all...

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

Joan Burton: In Q4, 2012, OECD data show that Ireland had a youth unemployment rate of 29.2% and an unemployment rate of 14.3% for all persons in the labour force. This compares to an overall OECD youth unemployment rate of 16.4%, with 8% unemployment in the OECD labour force. In both instances, the rate of youth unemployment is slightly double the rate of unemployment in the overall economy. Young...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 289 together. The person concerned will be contacted by an official of this Department to facilitate an application for a jobseeker's payment as required.

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

Joan Burton: In order to protect the Intern and to ensure the integrity of the JobBridge Scheme a variety of control measures and criteria have been introduced. These are designed to try to ensure that the internship does not displace an existing position; that it provides appropriate training and development experience; and that appropriate mentoring and support is provided to the Intern. Under the...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 4th February 2013. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations and that she was not providing full time care and attention as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Farm assist is a weekly means tested payment that is paid to low income farmers. To qualify for a payment a farmer must be aged between 18 and 66 years, be engaged in farming, and satisfy a means test. The objective of the means assessment is to arrive at a figure which represents the normal net profit or loss from farming and includes an assessment of income from any other self-employment....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Rights Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the insolvency payments scheme, which operates under the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act, 1984, which, in turn, derives from EU Council Directive 987/80, is to protect certain outstanding pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. These entitlements include wages, holiday pay, sick pay, payment in...