Results 21,941-21,960 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: While I will get a more detailed answer for the joint committee, it is an equality issue in part. It pertains to the age at which someone must retire and to me, it would make a sense to align the pension age and the retirement age. Thereafter, of course, it also is up to individual places of employment and the contracts they have with employees. In respect of self-employed people to whom...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Can I clarify that we have provided for it? Once one is on jobseeker's benefit at the age of 65, in law one's entitlement continues until 66. Therefore, the nine-month duration does not apply to somebody of 65. I hope that is helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: That will be in 2021.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: If the economy has recovered by then-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Chairman made a really important point on a phenomenon that happens all the time. Every public representative who is dealing with applicants should remind them how important it is to sign for credits if they have an entitlement to a credit. I know exactly what the Deputy is talking about. I have met so many women who could have signed for credits, including people who became...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: This arose when the Secretary General and deputy secretary were here and before the Committee of Public Accounts. We have taken into the Department 1,700 new employees and we are putting considerable emphasis, this year and next, on the training of staff, who are now working on general social welfare issues in respect of the various schemes of the Department. With regard to credits...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: We are putting a lot of emphasis this year and will be putting a lot of emphasis next year on training the new staff. Many former community welfare officers are expert at interviewing people because of the nature of their previous work, but many of the new staff are working particularly on the Intreo and activation programmes. We are putting a lot of emphasis on training. We have revamped...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I know Senator Moloney is very knowledgeable about this. The non-contributory pension is at the same level as the contributory pension. For any of the women about whom the Senator is talking, such as a widow who is likely to be on her own, the level is the same. If an individual is highly dependent on social welfare, it is likely that she will qualify for the non-contributory pension.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: In the autumn or towards the end of the year, I will provide a short report on the total numbers. They are significant. The worst cases are where the people concerned had not even made an application but made inquiries, which inquiries became parliamentary questions. I am thankful that these cases are very few and far between but Deputy Butler is correct that the parliamentary questions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I look forward to getting support and advice from the committee as we move into the intense negotiations for the budget. We have a social welfare model in Ireland which is supportive and highly redistributive. It reduces the poverty risk by 60%. It is a tribute to successive Governments and different parties of all shades to give that significance and importance to a welfare state in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: We could run a seminar for the committee and Oireachtas Members on the range of schemes and supports the Department has for young people. The new JobsPlus is an attractive scheme and I hope there will be good take-up of it by employers. Members will be ambassadors for the scheme and help promote it to get more people back to work. It will help to reinstate the objective of near full employment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Administration (11 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 128 together. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average time taken to process carer's allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 28.2 weeks and 34.7 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. The current average time taken to process carer's benefit appeals decided by summary decision is 24 weeks and 28 weeks...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department is continually monitoring and reviewing service delivery to ensure that services are delivered in the most effective and efficient manner to customers. In Granard, an information and claim-taking service has been provided by staff from Longford Social Welfare Local Office at the Social Welfare Inspector's office, Moxham St, Granard every Monday morning. On average 10 to 12...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance was received from the person concerned on the 28th May 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found the child to be medically eligible for the allowance. The person concerned was notified on the 8th July 2013 that her claim is awarded. The first payment will issue to her on the 16th July 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Numbers (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (11 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 - indeed it should be noted...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: To qualify for the Treatment Benefit Scheme an individual must satisfy certain PRSI conditions. One such condition requires a claimant to have 39 PRSI contributions paid at the appropriate class (either A, E, H or P) in the relevant tax year or years on which their application is based. The relevant tax years for this claim are 1985, 1991 and 1992. In each of these years PRSI was paid at...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2014 Issues (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of €776 million in 2013 on the various carers schemes (carer’s allowance, domiciliary care allowance, respite care grant and carer’s benefit). The Deputy will be aware that the Expenditure Report 2013 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform last December provides for additional new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Administration (11 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...