Results 23,261-23,280 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The State pension is a very valuable asset and it is important, that those who receive it have made a significant contribution towards it during a working life. In order to qualify for a minimum State pension contributory, a person must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions which include: - commencing insurable employment at least 10 years before pension age, - payment of a minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection is a key player in the payment services sector in Ireland with over 87 million payments issued to customers in 2012. The current range of payment options includes payment to an account in a bank, building society or certain credit unions that have been authorised by the banking and credit union regulators, payment at a local post office or payment by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance is a payment for persons who are providing full-time care and attention to an eligible person and who satisfy a means test. An application for carer’s allowance from the person in question was refused on the 11th of May 2013 on the ground that the person concerned was not providing full time care and attention as required. She was notified of this decision,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As of the end of September 2013 there were a total of 234,091 people in receipt in each of the following payments; illness benefit, disability allowance, the blind pension, injury benefit, disablement benefit and invalidity pension. I have attached a breakdown of the number of recipients in each of these schemes at the end of September 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for your...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 15 April 2013. He was awarded this pension on reaching 66 years of age, at a rate of €196 per week, with effect from 11 September 2013. He subsequently notified the Department that he may have had additional self-employment contributions due for the tax year 1988/89. The Department has confirmed that there are no...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Voluntary Work Option Issues (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I am deeply conscious of the long tradition of volunteering in this country and I am committed to ensuring this valuable tradition continues to thrive. To facilitate this commitment to the voluntary community, my Department operates a Voluntary Work Option for customers on the Jobseeker schemes. Under these arrangements, a Jobseeker customer may engage in voluntary work within the State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (14 Nov 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: Disability Allowance Appeals (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11th November 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17th September 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Where individuals exit the workforce prior to pension age they often seek the support of either the jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance schemes. Jobseeker's benefit is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance. If a person does not qualify for jobseeker’s benefit they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. The Revised...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: FÁS Local Training Initiatives Places (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has not been in contact with the Department’s Employment Services. He will be contacted by a member of staff to offer him an appointment to explore the training options currently available to him.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (14 Nov 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 hold an oral hearing in this case on 17 December 2013. The person concerned will be notified of the arrangements for the hearing when finalised. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 19 August 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: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The rent supplement claim for the person concerned has now been reviewed. The amount of means assessed for her from her employment has been revised downwards to give her a new entitlement to rent supplement of €577.20 per week, an increase of €22.80 per week from her previous entitlement. This revised entitlement will be backdated to 1 October 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals. In order to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 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...

Youth Employment: Motion [Private Members] (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: On a point of information, the wealth tax proposal was dropped.

Youth Employment: Motion [Private Members] (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:“notes that: - the number of people in employment grew by 34,000 in the year ending June 2013, compared with a reduction of employment of more than 300,000 in the three year period ending March 2011; - the rate of unemployment in Ireland has fallen to 13.2 per cent...

Youth Employment: Motion [Private Members] (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The central purpose of progressive politics is to ensure that people achieve their innate potential and reach the full extent of their capabilities. I entered politics in order to change society part by part and step by step so that ordinary men and women would have a greater chance to live a better life. Central to this effort is to ensure that we create a productive economy of work with...

Youth Employment: Motion [Private Members] (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: In the three years before the Government took office in March 2011 the number of people in employment fell by 300,000, one of the worst employment shocks any country had ever experienced following on from the disastrous bank guarantee. The number of people in employment has started to grow again and rose by 33,800 in the year ending in June 2013. In terms of the economy, that is a positive...