Results 23,981-24,000 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy is aware, work undertaken by participants on the rural social scheme supports the provision of services of benefit to rural communities. Day-to-day operational responsibility rests with Implementing Bodies comprising of local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta. In general, participants on both schemes are required to work on a range of service provisions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Review (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department has no plans to abolish free travel for senior citizens. The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: As at 9 January, 2014, 24,845 internships had commenced since JobBridge came into operation, 6,451 individuals were actually on internships and 1,726 internship opportunities were advertised on the JobBridge website (). JobBridge is targeting scarce exchequer resources in a balanced and effective way to meet the needs of individual citizens while, through carefully considered control...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for interim measures to support the unemployed and keep jobseekers close to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Gateway was introduced by the Department of Social Protection to deliver on the policy objectives set out in Pathways to Work and is designed to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with individual county and city councils. Gateway has a target to provide for 3,000 placements focusing on those who have been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested is not immediately available in the Department. My Department will write to the Deputy when the information is compiled.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance was stopped on the 20th of November 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: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The age limit for receipt of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is 16 years. As the child concerned reached the age of 16 years in July 2013, DCA is no longer payable after that date. A letter issued in March 2013 advising that payment of the allowance was due to end in July 2013 and that the child could apply for disability allowance in his own right.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made a claim for supplementary welfare allowance at my Department's Homeless Person's Unit on 4th October 2013. His claim was disallowed on the basis that he did not satisfy the habitual residence condition as he failed to supply adequate documentary evidence of his income as requested.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned submitted an application for a rent supplement on 04 November 2013. As the person concerned has not submitted all the documentation requested in order to process the application, it is not possible to determine an entitlement. The person concerned can contact the office processing her application and submit the outstanding documentation in order to progress the application.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (16 Jan 2014)

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. There are currently approximately 80,000 rent supplement recipients for whom the Government has provided over €403...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned did not attend a scheduled oral hearing relating to an appeal against a decision of an overpayment of one-parent family payment for the period 12 June 2008 to 31 December 2008. It is open to the person concerned to contact the Social Welfare Appeals Office to seek a further hearing in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: In addition to a number of other criteria a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment from this Department for a minimum of 390 days in order to qualify for a fuel allowance. The person concerned has been in receipt of a jobseeker's allowance since 01 May 2013 and has been paid for 219 days up to 14 January 2014. Accordingly she does not meet the criteria for the payment of a fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Appeals (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: In this case, the children's mother had previously applied for child benefit. Her claim was disallowed in September 2012, as she did not satisfy the habitual residence condition. The person concerned subsequently applied for child benefit on behalf of her grandchildren. This claim was also disallowed on the 17th of January 2013, as she was not deemed to be the qualified person in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Budget 2014 introduced changes to the minimum contribution towards Rent Supplement and Mortgage Interest Supplement for couples from €35 to €40 for new and existing recipients. This equates to a supplement reduction of €21.60 per calendar month to the client in question. This change further aligns contributions to the schemes with Local Authority rents structures.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Applications (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is entitled to a one-parent family payment of €235.10 per week. This figure is made up of a personal allowance of €188, two qualified child allowances of €29.80 for each child and a fuel allowance of €20, less means of €32.50. The payment in respect of the second qualified child was authorised on 14 January, 2014. Arrears in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (16 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The client is in receipt of her full entitlement to rent supplement based on her current household circumstances. The client's monthly rent entitlement decreased from 1 November 2013 due to commencement on a FÁS course.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Rebates (21 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Expenditure on the redundancy payments scheme over the seven years 2007 to 2013 inclusive is set out in the table. Expenditure on Statutory Redundancy Payments Year Rebates to Employers (€ million) Lump sums to employees (€ million) Total (€ million) 2013 (provisional) 49.5 76.6 126.1 2012 167.4 134.3 301.7 2011 185.3 126.7 311.96 2010 373.2 96.77 469.97 2009...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (21 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as the recent severe weather...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (21 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an invalidity pension appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 19th December 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...