Results 23,581-23,600 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The Senator anticipated this amendment in his previous contribution and I have already provided a reply on how sovereign annuities have developed in Ireland. To date, the amount spent on them since they were launched in 2012 is €1.377 billion.

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

Joan Burton: This is a tricky issue as it involves having to balance the relative certainty provided by an annuity product, which, while very expensive in the current market, will provide a fixed level of income, as opposed to taking the risk of the investment market. The standard advice is that as people get older, the value of certainty and lower risk increases. The median pension amount is...

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

Joan Burton: Amendment No. 14 is a technical amendment introduced as a consequence of the introduction of a new section 48A in the Pensions Act, as provided for in amendment No. 17. The amendment arises from the provisions in subsection (1D) of section 5 of the Bill, as published, which provides that in the event of the wind-up of a pension scheme, where the employer is insolvent and there are not...

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

Joan Burton: The issue of pension charges is, as Senator Sean D. Barrett suggests, extremely important. The amendment will give clarity to the procedures involved. It has been argued that 50% is not adequate and people have asked why, for example, the State cannot cover 90% or 100%. After a period of serious economic difficulty, we are finally getting back on our feet. Employment figures are moving in...

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

Joan Burton: The pension levy now has two parts. The original pension levy of 0.6%, the proceedings from which have been applied to the job creation fund of 2011, is due to end in 2014. In providing for the budget for 2014 the Minister for Finance proposed and introduced an additional levy of 0.15% and indicated this would will meet the obligations which would fall on the State. In this instance, the...

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

Joan Burton: One can find fault with a number of aspects with regard to the Government but not in this case. The Minister for Finance and the programme for Government set out very clearly that the proceeds from the pension levy would be adopted as a jobs fund. I have listened to Members on both sides of the House commend the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector which is funded from the same levy. The...

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

Joan Burton: I thank the Senator. Significant efforts have been made to identify an approach that strikes a reasonable balance between the interests of pensioners and the active and deferred members of scheme portfolios and scheme structures. To ensure that the broadest range of views and expertise was considered, the consultation process during the review of these provisions included a stakeholder...

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

Joan Burton: I do not propose to accept the amendment. All statutory guidance issued by the Pensions Board is updated as required, and there is very extensive and timely updating. Updates to existing guidance are actively being considered currently in the context of the changes I am introducing in the Bill. With regard to Senator Barrett's point about trustee training, there is a significant amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department operates two schemes to assist people on social welfare who wish to commence self-employment; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The STEA provides immediate access to support where people who have lost their jobs and qualify for jobseekers’ benefit wish to set up a business. Payment under the scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The issue of how the assets of a defined benefits pension scheme are distributed in the event of the wind up of a pension scheme has been the subject of considerable deliberation and consultation over the last few years. As you are aware this is a complex and sensitive issue and required careful consideration before any change is made to the current wind up priority order. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: A key objective of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1st October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. As part of this process and to support the Department’s activation commitments under the Pathways to Work Programme and the development of Intreo services nationally, it has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (3 Dec 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 25th November 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: National Internship Scheme Placements (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150, 152, 163 and 187 together. As at 28th November, 2013, there had been 23,845 internships since JobBridge came into operation, of which 6,543 individuals are currently on internships. The Table below contains a breakdown by County of internships completed and internships currently undertaken. The independent evaluation of JobBridge conducted by Indecon...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Legislation provides that penalty rate payments may be imposed by a Deciding Officer where jobseekers fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures. Activation measures include the requirement to attend group or individual meetings, and/or avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities, or specified employment programmes, which are considered appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programme (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Tús and Gateway were introduced by the Department of Social Protection to deliver on the policy objectives set out in Pathways to Work. Both initiatives are designed to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Participants on both schemes are required to work in their placement for an average of 19.5 hours per week which allows for participation in part-time...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: A Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) may be allocated to a person who can show that he or she has a requirement for one in order to carry out a transaction with a specified body, and provides proof of identity, and evidence of address. The allocation of a PPS Number to a person does not, in itself, provide any entitlement to residency, employment or welfare rights. Details of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Statistics for the number of unsuccessful disability allowance applications since January 2013 who were previously in receipt of domiciliary care allowance are not maintained. It is estimated from data available that the number of persons who were in receipt of domiciliary care allowance and found to be ineligible for disability allowance to date in 2013 is approximately 370.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: As part of their contract of employment, the Department pays the cost of professional bodies’ fees for persons employed in the Department as medical and accounting professionals. The payment of these fees is based on the contractual requirement to maintain full registration with the relevant professional accredited body, e.g., the Irish Medical Council and Chartered Accountants of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: In line with its Learning and Development Strategy 2013-2015, the Department promotes a learning culture where it provides staff and management with learning and development opportunities both internally and externally, including supports to attain third level qualifications. Participation in third level programmes is supported through refunding fees paid by staff undertaking these courses....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (3 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22nd July 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 Welfare...