Results 21,961-21,980 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 to 127, inclusive, together. The household benefits package comprises the electricity/gas allowance, the telephone allowance and the free television licence. In 2013, my Department will spend an estimated €284 million on this scheme, providing some 410,000 customers with a package worth almost €700 per year. Under my Department’s...

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

Joan Burton: 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. This qualifying condition is applied to all applicants, regardless of their nationality. The effect of the condition is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere would not normally be entitled to social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: There are a number of support systems in place for long term and older carers in relation to State Pension. Persons in receipt of carer’s benefit from my Department may be entitled to credited contributions or ‘credits’. Credits are intended to protect the entitlements, particularly to pension rights of employees participating in the social insurance when they are ill or...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23 April 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 these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to...

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

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 4 December 2012. The person concerned was refused carers allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

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

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for Carer’s Benefit from the person in question on 6 June 2013. This application has been processed by a Deciding Officer and the person concerned has been awarded Carer’s Benefit for the period requested on the Application. Notification of this decision was issued to the person in question on 10 July 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Over 900 defined benefit (DB) schemes are subject to the Funding Standard. The process requires trustees to arrange for an actuary to carry out a valuation of the DB pension scheme's liabilities and assets at regular intervals and submit an actuarial valuation certificate to the Pensions Board outlining the funding position of the scheme. The date of each scheme valuation must be not later...

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

Joan Burton: In addition to a number of other qualifying criteria, a person must be available for full-time employment in order to be eligible for a jobseeker’s payment. The person concerned was disallowed for jobseeker’s allowance as he did not fulfil this qualifying condition while engaged in an apprenticeship. An overpayment against the person concerned was assessed for the period in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Medical Review and Assessment system is the principal control mechanism for illness and disability schemes administered by the Department of Social Protection. All medical assessments are carried out by the Department's Medical Assessors who present their medical opinions for the guidance of the Deciding Officers in the scheme areas. Medical Assessors conduct in person assessments in...

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

Joan Burton: The position remains the same as detailed in my previous responses to the Deputy’s Parliamentary Questions No 52068/12 on 22nd November, 2012, 54962/12 on 6th December 2012, 4326/13 on 29th January 2013 and 10153/13 on 26th February 2013 regarding this matter. The customer was asked to submit documentation to support her continued entitlement. As of today no further documentation has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The document the Deputy refers to titled 'Pension Scheme Wind Up and Waterford Crystal' relates to former workers at Waterford Crystal. This document follows a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by this Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Community Employment (CE) programme is sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary organisations and public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities. This includes vocational education committees who sponsor CE schemes. The role of the sponsor/employer, in relation to CE participants (employees) is to provide a meaningful work programme and training...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 7th June 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 11th July 2013 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for Jobseeker's Allowance on 1 July 2013. The application is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation and he will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25th March 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30th April 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12th November 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Pension Benefit Schemes Issues (16 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes are required to notify The Pensions Board when a scheme enters into a wind up. The duration for the disbursement of scheme assets in a wind up can vary and The Pensions Board monitors the process. The total number of DB pension schemes who have completed the wind up process and whose closure has been notified to The Pensions Board since 2008 is 333. The...