Results 23,321-23,340 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental Youth Guarantee Implementation Group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The terms of reference for this group are to review the current range of youth employment policies in Ireland...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Garda Vetting of Personnel (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: Approval to work, or train to work, with children and/or vulnerable adults is granted upon successful completion of the recruitment and selection process which includes appropriate vetting checks with the Garda Central Vetting Unit. No community employment participant may work or train with children and/or vulnerable adults pending the outcome of the Garda vetting process. Applicants already...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The Department is in the process of major organisational change following the transfer of responsibility for Community Welfare Services and FÁS employment and community employment services. In implementing this challenging programme of change, the objective is to ensure that all services provided are co-ordinated and support customers through the development of improved processes and the...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: Increasing 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 State pension was taken in the context of changing demographics and the fact that people are living longer and healthier lives. These changes are already provided for in legislation. The Social...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: Over 2,000 persons are employed as retained (part-time) fire-fighters, providing services which are vitally important to their communities. Typically, these workers provide services in rural and less densely populated areas but larger urban centres may also have a cohort of part-time workers. Retained fire-fighters who are otherwise unemployed are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The delivery of the Intreo service comprises a number of elements. The main elements being: 1. The integration of the various welfare decision making processes to speed up decision making and minimise recourse to supplementary welfare payments. 2. The introduction of a profiling process to capture the unique characteristics and service requirements of each jobseeker. 3. The implementation of...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The client’s rent allowance, which is currently in payment, was reviewed on 28th August 2013 to bring it within the maximum limit applicable based on family composition and area of residence. A 12-week period is allowed to reduce rent to the appropriate limit or find alternative accommodation. A reminder outlining the need to adhere to the appropriate rent limit issued from the...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: My Department aims to process and pay without delay all successful appeals returned by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). In general, across schemes, there are no delays in implementing successful appeals. However, in the disability allowance (DA) area, temporary delays are currently being experienced by some successful appellants. These delays are arising due to the large number...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: JobsPlus is a new employer incentive which encourages and rewards employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. This incentive replaced the employer Job PRSI Exemption Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist from the 1 July 2013. Regular cash payments are made to qualifying employers to offset wage costs when they engage eligible jobseekers. Eligible employees must...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Appeals (19 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: Following a review in July 2013, the mortgage interest supplement payment to the person concerned was stopped as her means were calculated to be in excess of the allowable interest on the mortgage. The person concerned has appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office who will be in touch with her in due course.
- Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided €403 million in 2013. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who...
- Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: I wish to repeat what I actually said - namely, that a search conducted on a leading property website shows that there are a total of 15 one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom properties available for rent in the Ratoath and Ashbourne areas. It must be stressed that part of the issue is the lack of supply. Deputy Doherty suggested that there was a far greater supply. If that is the...
- Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: Ireland's exit from the supervision and control of the troika is a good positive step on the road to recovery. It does not solve all our problems. It leaves us, like people after a prolonged period of struggle, building and constructing a better future for our people and communities so that the sacrifices that people have made, undertaken and had imposed on them result in a better Ireland...
- Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: -----and as the Government charts our course towards a post-recovery Ireland, full employment must be the overarching goal of economic policy. Achieving full employment will be how we will leave austerity in the distant past, increase tax revenue, build a viable social insurance system, reduce welfare expenditure and create room for new investment in essential services. As we recover, we...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Employment Initiative (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle all forms of unemployment, including youth unemployment, is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and thus reduce unemployment and long-term unemployment. Past experience...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (20 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 14 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: Youth Guarantee (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, to review the current range of youth employment policies in Ireland to assess what measures will need to be taken to commence the...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Nov 2013)
Joan Burton: The person concerned was interviewed by an officer from the Maynooth Employment Service’s office on the 12 July 2013 and on that day she applied for two computer courses. In October 2013 the person concerned informed the Department that she wished to withdraw her applications for the courses due to domestic circumstances and since then she has not been in contact with the Maynooth...