Results 24,621-24,640 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18th February 2014. 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: Domiciliary Care Allowance Application Numbers (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for children, aged under 16 years, with a severe disability requiring ongoing care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of that age. Table 1 refers to the outcome of applications processed over the past 2 years. Many applications are allowed following a review of the original decision,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 19th February 2014. 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 Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The person in question has been notified that her carer’s allowance in respect of one care recipient is being stopped on 26th March 2014 as, following a review, it was decided that the medical criteria were no longer satisfied based on the medical evidence submitted to date in relation to one of her care recipients. In order for a child under 16 years to be deemed eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Self-employed workers, including self-employed fishermen, whose businesses fail or suffer from reduced demand or who do not have constant or continuous employment, may access social welfare support by establishing entitlement to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Under contract An Post acts as the Department’s paying agent in respect of cash payments made to social welfare recipients. In accordance with long established government accounting rules and procedures, payments routed through An Post are brought to account by the Department for expenditure purposes upon encashment (i.e. when the customer presents at a Post Office to collect their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: There has been no reduction in the level of service in the Castle Street Community Welfare Office. Given the current workload, staffing levels are sufficient to continue to deliver a full Community Welfare Service for Dublin 12. Mail is collected on a daily basis, phone calls and voice mail messages are responded to within a reasonable timeframe, and appointments are prioritised from time to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10th October 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: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (25 Feb 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 flooding. The humanitarian...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 23 October 2013. The first payment will be made to the person in question by her chosen payment method on 25 February 2014. The person in question was in receipt of another social welfare payment during the period 23 October 2013 to date. Consequently, the amount of social welfare already paid requires to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by this Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to an individual pension scheme. I am very aware of the serious challenges facing many pension schemes at this time and the efforts being made by both the trustees and the sponsoring employers of these schemes to meet these challenges. The Deputy will be aware that I have introduced a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th January 2014. 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 have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together. The ad hoc group on pensions last met on 21 October 2013 to consider broad pension policy issues with a particular focus on the proposals which were subsequently brought forward in the Social Welfare and Pensions (No.2) Bill 2013. The Minster for Finance, the Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation and the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Programmes (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in service delivery and disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. The programme is funded by the Department with day-to-day management of contracts undertaken by Pobal. Some 425 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives shared annual funding of €46m from the programme in 2013. Contract...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 provided for the establishment of a new unincorporated body called the Pensions Council. The Pensions Council will comprise: - a chairperson; - a representative of the Minister for Social Protection; - the Pensions Regulator; - a representative of the Central Bank; - a representative of the Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 19 February 2014, 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: Pension Provisions (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: You will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to an individual pension scheme. I am very aware of the serious challenges facing many pension schemes at this time and the efforts being made by both the trustees and the sponsoring employers of these schemes to meet these challenges. You will be aware that I have introduced a number of legislative changes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Data (26 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Diet supplement, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. Following the outcome of a review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets commissioned by the Department during 2013, the scheme has been closed to new applicants from 1 February 2014. Payment...