Results 24,881-24,900 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The social welfare system is primarily a contingency-based system, with entitlement based on defined contingencies, such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood. Primary social welfare legislation provides that only one social welfare payment is payable at any one time. While it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time - for example, an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (13 Mar 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 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 to 114, inclusive, and 119 together. Tús and Gateway were established to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are long-term unemployed. A key feature of these initiatives is that all selection is undertaken by random processes conducted at local level by the Department of Social Protection. Tús and Gateway are part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing a high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages a range of consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (expert analysis and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received applications from the person concerned for Carer’s Allowance on 12 April 2013 and for Jobseeker's Allowance on 14 February 2014. His application for Carer’s Allowance was withdrawn on 1 October 2013 on the grounds that requested information was not provided to a social welfare investigator regarding his employment record while living...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period should be implemented on a phased basis. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. Jobseeker’s allowance and jobseeker’s benefit expenditure 2008 to 2013 (Estimated) - 2008 €000 2009 €000 2010 €000 2011 €000 2012 €000 2013 €000 (Estimate) Jobseeker’s Allowance 1,158,851...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The rent supplement of the client concerned was initially suspended by a local Community Welfare Officer on 31 October 2012, pending the completion and return of the necessary rent review forms to verify rent payable was within the statutory limits for that area. The Department is still awaiting confirmation of same.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: A review of the case of the person concerned is currently being undertaken, and as part of the review process Maynooth Employment Services will contact the person concerned shortly in order to request further information.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The claim of the person concerned for jobseeker's allowance was disallowed as the Deciding Officer was not satisfied that the person concerned had fully disclosed her means. It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: A review has been carried out on the rent supplement claim of the person concerned. The supplement has been increased as his daughter with whom he resides is no longer in receipt of a social welfare payment but is attending full time education. This increase in the rent supplement of the person concerned will issue with the next monthly payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned currently qualifies for a reduced rate of State pension (contributory), based on a yearly average of 19 contributions, paid or credited, for the period 16 July 1962 to 31 December 2010. According to the record held by the Department, the person concerned has no social insurance contributions during the period 1969 to 1997. On foot of previous representations from the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. A previous claim for invalidity pension in respect of the person concerned was refused on 11 March 2013 as the claimant did not satisfy the medical criteria. A new claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned was received on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Guardian's Payment Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Having considered all of the evidence available, the Guardian’s payment (contributory) claim of the person concerned was disallowed by the Deciding Officer on 30 May 2012 because the care arrangements in place for the child were the result of a private mutual agreement between the child’s mother and the applicant. The child was not deemed to be abandoned as defined in social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 13 February 2014. During the course of the hearing, the person concerned undertook to submit additional information to the Appeals Officer. As soon as that additional information is received from the person concerned, the Appeals Officer will complete her consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Payments (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: There is no backlog in domiciliary care allowance (DCA) with the department currently processing claims from December 2013. The average processing time for DCA applications during February 2014 was 9.14 weeks, with a total of 800 applications being processed and pending decision at the end of the month. Customer service is a priority and the department continues to make every effort to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Application Numbers (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The statistics, in the format requested by the Deputy, are not available. The Department will, however, be in a position to supply the Deputy with the number of those for whom domiciliary care allowance was paid and which ceased in the last five years, as the child was over 16, and the number of those children that applied for disability allowance, those who are currently in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation on 1 July 2011. Over 26,650 internship placements have commenced to-date and over 12,000 companies have participated in the scheme. There are currently 6,586 jobseekers participating in the scheme and 1,729 posts are advertised on the website at . Independent research indicates that over...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11 December 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 have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (13 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. State pension age will increase further to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. The State pension (transition) was introduced in...