Results 22,541-22,560 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The community employment (CE) programme is a labour market intervention designed to assist the long-term unemployed return to the work force. The term for participants on CE has been set at two years maximum for those under 35 years of age by the Department. The person concerned has completed two years on Merchant’s Quay CE scheme as a support worker. As she is under 35 years of age,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I am very aware of the serious funding challenges facing pension schemes at this time. It is acknowledged that the fundamental problems facing defined benefits schemes are due to the requirements to fund increasing life expectancy as well as the impact of the recession which has resulted in lower than expected investment returns. The trustees of pension schemes are required to maintain...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobBridge Scheme Eligibility (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 335 together. Individuals considering applying for internships should use the information published by the Department to assess their eligibility to participate in the JobBridge scheme. Eligibility requirements include that the individual be in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment or signing for credits of 78 days within the last 6...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Eligibility (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the insolvency payments scheme 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 lieu of minimum notice due under the Minimum Notice & Terms of Employment Acts, 1973-2001, and certain pension contributions. Various other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: As an important control measure, payments of one parent family payment at Blanchardstown Intreo Office are now being paid to customers at their nominated Post Office. Only in exceptional circumstances such as having a severe medical condition, hospitalisation of the customer, or where an urgent caring need exists can payments now be paid into a bank account. Based on the information held...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: All applicants for carers’ allowance, regardless of nationality, are required to be habitually resident in the State in order to qualify for the allowance. The requirement to establish that a person is habitually resident for the purpose of claiming certain categories of Social Welfare Allowances is governed by requirements in EC Regulation 883/2004 and its implementing Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (8 Oct 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 allow 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: Pension Provisions (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Short term social welfare schemes are payable to age 66, including illness benefit. Each application for any social welfare scheme, including the illness schemes, is assessed on its own merit in terms of qualifying criteria and contribution history. Where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, the means tested assistance payment may be available...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Review (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The delivery of the Intreo service comprises a number of elements. The main elements being: i. The integration of the various welfare decision making processes to speed up decision making and minimise recourse to supplementary welfare payments; ii. The introduction of a profiling process to capture the unique characteristics and service requirements of each jobseeker; iii. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dental Services Expenditure (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The treatment benefit scheme is funded through PRSI contributions, with payments made to dentists on the basis of demand from qualified PRSI contributors for the free annual examination. The cost of the dental benefit scheme for each of the past two complete years is set out in the table below: Year Cost 2011 €9.15 million 2012 €8.94 million

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dental Services Expenditure (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: In 2012, the estimated number of people eligible for this Department's dental benefit scheme was 2.2 million (qualifying either on their own PRSI or on their spouses'). Dental benefit was actually claimed by 270,602 people in 2012, equating to 12.3% of the eligible population.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Government is committed to helping one-parent families to become economically independent. Under Pathways to Work 2013, the Department is developing proposals for the extension of activation interventions, such as profiling and personal engagements, to customers of the Department who are not on the Live Register, including lone parents. These proposals are due to be finalised by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on 2nd August 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 (8 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16th 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (9 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The table below lists the schemes that are set out in primary legislation and those which are non-statutory in nature. Schemes set out in Primary Legislation* Non-statutory Schemes State Pension (Transition) National Fuel Scheme State Pension (Contributory) Free Travel State Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (9 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: As the question relates to a separated spouse it is not possible to provide a full answer for date protection reasons as this would involve giving information in relation to one person to another. In general, a separated spouse does not qualify as a dependent spouse and cannot claim on her husband's record.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (9 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) provides an income support for employees with families on low earnings who otherwise might be at risk of financial poverty. It also preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming social welfare. Expenditure on FIS for 2012 was of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (9 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to the parents/guardians of children that assists families with the cost associated with raising children. Child benefit is paid to around 606,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2013. The needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (9 Oct 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 the Department. The second is the school meals local projects schemes through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (9 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers were received by that office on 09 September 2013 and that the case will be 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. In order to be fair...