Results 22,481-22,500 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Formal offers of a place on a suitable full-time training course are made to persons in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance as part of the Department's activation process. The timing and nature of an offer depends on the Jobseeker's individual characteristics, the availability of training places and the demand by employers for staff with particular skills. Some of the courses cited are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Property Taxation Collection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: In line with the arrangements in place by the Revenue Commissioners for the local property tax (LPT), property owners can voluntarily opt to have their liabilities met by deduction at source from salary or occupational pension. This includes Tús participants. Where individuals do not submit an LPT return or fail to meet their LPT payment obligations, mandatory deduction at source from...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: As per the commitment made under Action 52 of the Action Plan for Jobs, my Department releases a quarterly report on performance against the Pathways to Work targets. The Pathways to Work Performance report for Quarter 2 is available at at the following link: .

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I understand that the National Transport Authority (NTA) earlier this month launched a public consultation process on its plans to enter into another direct award contract with Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann from December 2014, to amend those contracts in 2016 to reduce the services within those contracts by approximately 10% and, to provide the removed services through separate contracts...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Regulation (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I cannot comment on issues relating to a particular pension scheme. The Pensions Board supervises the regulation of individual schemes in accordance with the Pensions Act.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief Application (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. There are currently approximately 11,300 mortgage interest supplement recipients for which the Government has provided almost €41.8 million in 2013. The Department is compiling the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (2 Oct 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 as soon as arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: No consultants have been contracted by me or my Department, since 1 January 2013, to advise on the possible sale of any assets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I thank the committee for the opportunity afforded to me to discuss policy issues in respect of the revised eligibility criteria relating to the contributory State pension, including averaging the number of PRSI contributions over the years. As requested, my opening statement will be brief. The State pension is a key social welfare payment. It is the fundamental basis for the pension...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: From September 2012, new rate bands for State pension were introduced. These additional payment rate bands more accurately reflect the social insurance history of a person and ensure that those who contribute more during a working life, all other things being equal, benefit more in retirement than those with fewer contributions. That is the reason my comment on the non-contributory pension...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: It is critical with pensions, as we said, to have commitment to 34% of average earnings. I shall answer the Senator's question as follows. Let us look into the distance because the following measure would have to be Government policy for a long period. If there is a general social commitment to the retirement pension being at 34% of average earnings, and similar for the non-contributory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: It is with the pensions board. Unlike what I read in the newspapers, the matter does not have anything to do with the Department of Social Protection. There is an issue with the ESB management about the description of the designation of the pension fund as either defined benefit or defined contribution. That is a matter for the workers and the ESB, so I do not want to comment on that. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: No, we asked the OECD to carry out a study of the pensions landscape in Ireland. We are on the fifth anniversary of the infamous bank guarantee that cost us all so much. Shortly after that the pension funding standard was suspended, partly because of the chaos on the equity markets and partly because bond prices for buying annuities became difficult from an Irish point of view. As I have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I will not comment because the matter, which is being discussed between the scheme members and the company's management, does not fall within my brief. I suspect that both the members and the company are in receipt of senior legal advice. The company has another issue to consider. As members will know, the ESB is one of the largest state enterprises and employs a significant number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Revised Eligibility Criteria for State Pension (Contributory): Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (2 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The averaging system is a winner for some people and a loser for others. Were we to move to a total contributions system, which is much clearer in the context of current participation in the labour force, that would also benefit some people while others would lose out. Our main requirement is to have sustainable pensions. The yearly average test has existed since 1961, when contributory...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Retirement Issues (3 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 to 132, inclusive, together. It should be noted that there is no statutory compulsory retirement age for employees in Ireland. Responsibility for setting retirement age is a matter for the employer/employee relationship and the contract of employment. It should also be noted that individuals who are awarded a State pension contributory at age 66 can...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (3 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The European Commission is only providing funding for at most one pilot Youth Guarantee Scheme per Member State. In the case of Ireland, funding was sought and awarded for the Ballymun area due to its particularly high level of youth unemployment. An implementation plan for national delivery of a Youth Guarantee commencing from 2014 onwards will be drawn up by the end of this year. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (3 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 17 September 2013, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (3 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: It is a fundamental principle of the social insurance system that those qualifying for benefits must satisfy a range of contribution and other conditions, including a sufficient and on-going attachment to the social insurance system. Once fulfilment of those conditions is achieved, there are a number of additional payments that may be available to recipients in certain circumstances. One...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (3 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Increasing the State pension age and the abolition of the State pension (transition) are steps that have been taken to ensure the sustainability of pensions into the future. The decision to reform the State pension was taken in the context of changing demographics and the fact that people are living longer and healthier lives. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provides that State...