Results 24,121-24,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The local employment service, LES, is a valuable part of publicly funded employment services. Total LES funding for 2014, at €19.1 million, has been maintained at the same level as last year. In recent months the Department has modernised its approach to working with unemployed jobseekers through the roll-out of Intreo. Under the Intreo approach, the Department provides employment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: It is difficult to please Sinn Féin because at times it seems the party does not want anybody to return to work. Now it appears to be concerned about the provision of additional services. In both the tendering and information processes, a wide range of organisations - some for-profit, some not-for-profit, some community, some LES and some, as the Deputy described, locally based - all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Deputy Ó Snodaigh is probably making a political charge. I have found Sinn Féin to be very negative on the issue of employment creation. It is shocking, in my view. Our objective is to get people back to work. My Department and I have brought together into the Department formerly disparate organisations such as community employment and the local employment services to make them...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of participants on the community employment drug rehabilitation schemes. A key first step in securing this improvement was the establishment of a stakeholder group which assists the Department to identify and implement enhancements to the scheme. In addition, workshops have been held with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy said, the drug rehabilitation scheme plays an important role in helping recovering drug users to develop their personal and employment skills. As Minister, I have provided for a duration of up to three years. It is quite a long journey and one which can be very difficult for some people, so we have endeavoured to make it flexible. In addition to the three years, there is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department took over these schemes in early 2012. I have long experience with people who have unfortunately built up addiction problems before going on a long journey of rehabilitation. That journey is important for them and for their families and children. I was a little taken aback to learn of the low level of take-up of these schemes before the Department took responsibility for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: There are approximately 80,000 recipients of rent supplement at present. Just over €344 million has been provided for the scheme in the 2014 Estimates. The Department has no evidence of widespread or systemic false declarations of rent supplement through the use of illegal top-ups. The tenant, landlord or landlord's agent must complete the rent supplement application form, which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The transition process for this has been exceptionally difficult because, as the Deputy will appreciate, there are 44 local authority rent schemes and associated computer systems, all of which are different. We would like rent supplement to be properly transferred to local authorities. The disadvantage of rent supplement for somebody who is unemployed is that it constitutes an unemployment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy asked about direct deduction at source. We have amended the social welfare legislation on household budgeting, which has major implications for the local authorities. They found that people involved in rent supplement through the RAS were signing in to the household budgeting system to have their deductions taken from their social welfare payment with their agreement but were...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: We made an amendment to the legislation to ensure if they wish to leave it they must get the permission of the local authority. That will be of very significant assistance to the local authorities.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I am delighted to hear the Deputy identifying the problems with the rent supplement because during the time of the previous Government the rent supplement became to go-to position and local authorities basically pulled out of being housing providers. Part of that was because local authority estates, some in the Deputy's area and some in mine, had built up problems which the local authorities...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: -----and to transfer responsibility for housing to the local authority housing department, where it should be, and therefore allow people on a local authority supplemented rent to access employment because at the moment it is an employment trap. With the change in legislation, we have now offered a very attractive amendment to the local authorities because all around the country, in Dublin,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: On 23 January, the total number of persons who have participated on JobBridge was more than 25,200 and there are currently nearly 6,400 participants. Data on current recipients by county are included in the table following this reply. I share the Union of Students in Ireland’s vision that Ireland’s real competitive advantage lies in producing highly skilled, highly qualified...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I have just come from publishing our proposals in regard to the youth guarantee. Honestly, I do not understand what Sinn Féin's problem is with young people getting employment and being facilitated to get employment experience in a situation where, following the bank guarantee, which the Deputy's party supported initially, along with others, this country lost 300,000 jobs. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Not only that, but for people like construction engineers, we have sponsored back-to-education postgraduate qualifications, followed by an internship and followed by an offer of high-level employment with IT companies for two years and more. What is there to argue with on that?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I think the Deputy is politicking now because-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: How can he conceivably suggest, on behalf of Sinn Féin, that six months work experience for anyone who has been unemployed is somehow destructive when we have had 300,000 people in this country lose their jobs? JobBridge offers them an opportunity to hold onto their social welfare, get a top-up payment of €50 and get very valuable work experience, which the research shows, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: -----has helped 61% of people to get into work. There is no one way in which all of the unemployed people who are in this country will get employment; it is in a whole series of different ways. The Deputy made very disparaging comments about Tús. I travel to community centres all around this country. Let me tell the Deputy and Sinn Féin that I meet-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Does Deputy Ó Snodaigh just want to shout?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy is shouting.