Results 24,961-24,980 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision which was notified to her on 3 September 2013. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was awarded a reduced rate disability allowance (DA) with effect from 30 March 2011. Following a review of her continuing entitlement to DA on 28 November 2013 she was disallowed payment from 3 December 2013 as her means exceeded the statutory limit for receipt of DA. Following a request by the person for a review of this decision, the person’s file is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department administers over 70 schemes and services through a network of local and central offices throughout the country. In some instances customers call into their local office to submit a claim, while in others claims are made by post or online. For example, applications for State Contributory Pension are proactively initiated by the Department where there is a known entitlement,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 560 and 561 together. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the jobseeker’s allowance appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12 February 2014. Her supplementary welfare allowance appeal was registered on 3 March 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Post Office Network (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I was very pleased to sign a multi-year contract with An Post for the delivery of over the counter cash services to welfare clients in December last year following an EU-wide procurement competition. This contract, which is very substantial in terms of its reach, value and impact, enables the disbursement of cash payments to some nine hundred thousand (900,000) clients currently. These...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts Data (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I always endeavour to be helpful in relation to the information provided in answers to Parliamentary Questions and to ensure that the response addresses the specific question raised. I would point out to the Deputy that the information sought in the Parliamentary Questions referred to was not the same and, accordingly, there were significant differences in the details supplied in the answers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Programme for Government Implementation (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Programme for Government commits to implementing a fundamental programme of reform of the system of social protection. The scale of this reform is challenging and wide-reaching. I am committed to working with the Department and its agencies in the delivery of the commitments in this Programme for Government and substantial progress on many of the commitments has already been made. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 567 and 568 together. The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the Free Travel...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered on 6 February 2014. In accordance with the statutory requirements, the Appeals Office contacted the person concerned and asked him to set out the complete and up to date grounds of his appeal. This information was submitted on the 26 February 2014 and in accordance with the statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Information relating to a claimant’s address is not currently coded to the geographical location of the address. As such it is not possible to accurately report persons in receipt of social welfare payments living in a particular town at present. The following is a tabular statement detailing the number of recipients of working age on income supports and the number of recipients of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: One parent family payment (OFP) is a social assistance payment for people who are parenting alone. The amount payable depends on an assessment of the parent’s weekly means. In assessing means, account is taken of all cash income which the person is receiving, including maintenance payments. Currently, earnings from employment or income from self-employment up to €90 per week...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: There are no commercial State bodies operating under the remit of the Department of Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Carer's Allowance Payments (26 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance is a means-tested payment for carers on low incomes who are habitually resident in the State and who look after certain people in need of full time care and attention. Reviews of customer income, capital, investments and other relevant circumstances are undertaken on an on-going basis. Customers are required to notify the Department of any change in their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Social welfare legislation provides that the payments listed below may continue for a maximum of six weeks after death in a number of different circumstances. Where a social welfare customer dies while in receipt of a payment which includes an increase for a qualified adult, or where each of the couple was claiming one of the payments in their own right, the payment may continue to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (26 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 March 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 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (26 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 11 April 2014. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (26 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 10 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 have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty. To allow us to protect these core payments, we have had to look very carefully at other additional payments. The telephone allowance was abolished from 1 January...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (26 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The farm assist file for the person concerned has been forwarded to a Deciding Officer for decision. A decision will be made shortly and he will be notified of the outcome.

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of jobseekers allowance. Her entitlement will be reviewed based on the new information provided by the Deputy and she will be notified of the outcome following the review.