Results 23,561-23,580 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: 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 do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy is aware, provision was made in the Social Welfare & Pension Act 2012 to allow for Social Welfare Inspectors to exercise certain functions at ports and airports for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act. The powers came into effect on 7th June 2012. Since then, 122 cases have been detected at airports. The total amount of control savings resulting from these...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of disability allowance appeals from 2008 to 2012 and to date in 2013 is contained in the table below. A total of 5,151 disability allowance appeals were processed during 2012. 2,939 (57.06%) of these appeals had a successful outcome for the appellant. 730 (24.84%) of the successful appeals were in fact revised decisions made by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 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 disallow 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance was stopped with effect from 11 December 2013 in respect of the person in question as, following a review, it was decided that the medical criteria were no longer satisfied. In order for a child under 16 years to be deemed eligible for carer's allowance, domiciliary care allowance must be in payment for that child. In those circumstances, the child is deemed to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for jobseeker’s allowance on 11 October 2013. Her application was disallowed on the grounds that she was not habitually resident in the State. She was advised of the decision in writing on 25 October 2013 and of her right to appeal within 21 days. No appeal has been received. There is no record of an application for basic supplementary welfare allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The client made an application for rent supplement on 24 October 2013. Additional documentation was requested from the client which has not to date been received. The Department will make an assessment on the client’s application when all outstanding documentation has been provided.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Applications (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory), including an increase for a qualified adult in respect of his spouse. His application was disallowed as he had insufficient contributions to qualify under Irish legislation. His entitlement to State pension (contributory) under EU Regulations is currently being examined and he has been awarded a pro-rata State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a weekly payment of supplementary welfare allowance for herself and her dependant children as she has insufficient contributions to qualify for an illness benefit payment. She does not satisfy the conditions for a jobseeker’s allowance payment while she is ill and unable to seek employment. She will continue to receive a supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 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 27 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on 17 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: These amendments are of a technical nature. Amendment No. 1 inserts a definition of the principal Act into part 2 of the Bill to mean the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. This definition arises as a consequence of the other amendments that I am proposing in part 2 of the Bill, in respect of the revision of decisions for social welfare payment purposes. As a consequence of amendment...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Yes. When we move to the next series of amendments, I will go through the reasoning behind this set of amendments, to which I referred in my Second Stage speech earlier in the week. They arise as a consequence of a very recent court case, but I will go through them in greater detail when we move to the next section.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of this amendment is to amend section 301 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 regarding a revised decision by deciding officers. Amendments Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, address issues that have been raised in a very recent High Court judgment concerning the legal powers of deciding officers and appeal officers to revise decision in certain cases. This is a very complex area....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As the legislation stands, if a deciding officer or an appeals officer revises an earlier decision, he or she has considerable flexibility regarding the date from which the revised decision takes effect. Apart from a small number of situations, such as cases in which a person knowingly makes a false statement or withholds relevant information or cases in which a payment is reduced due to a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I do not propose to accept these amendments. Both amendments broadly entail placing a debt upon employers. It should be noted that while defined benefit pension schemes in Ireland are set up and maintained by employers on a voluntary basis, there has never been a statutory obligation on employers under Irish law to contribute to their pension scheme, although pension scheme rules can place...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: It is inaccurate, I think. The Senator might let us have a copy of the note later.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: There may be some slight misunderstanding.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: There are just a couple of points I want to make. Senator Mooney referred to Waterford Glass. I understand the thinking behind the two amendments but one should bear in mind the position of Waterford Glass and what ultimately triggered the problems aside from the difficult trading results and trading conditions. The point at issue for the Government in the late 2000s was its guarantee and...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As stated, since I became Minister the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, has created a sovereign annuity on the basis of which a number of insurance companies have developed products. It is quite interesting that the NTMA has indicated a continuous demand, with a financial value amount to €1.377 billion, for the amortising bonds used to underwrite sovereign annuities. The...