Results 25,281-25,300 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The objective of the Irish implementation plan for the Youth Guarantee is to ensure that young people receive a quality offer of assistance within four months of becoming unemployed. This objective is to be achieved over time by enhancing the Intreo engagement with newly unemployed young people, and by maintaining and developing the current range of education, training and employment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Fund Fees (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 80, 82 and 83 together. The pension levy which was introduced by the Minister for Finance to fund the Jobs Initiative in 2011 will be abolished from the 31st of December 2014. An additional levy on pension funds at 0.15% will apply to pension fund assets in 2014 and 2015. This additional levy will continue to help fund theJobs Initiative, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI...

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

Joan Burton: Carer's allowance is a social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full time care and attention to elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and is being provided and that the means test is satisfied. The carer must not be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Customers on the back to education allowance may apply for an appropriate social welfare payment for the duration of the summer months. In doing so they must satisfy all relevant conditions and many social welfare schemes do not preclude a customer from engaging in unpaid work. Where a person is in receipt of a jobseeker payment they are required to be unemployed, available to accept an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86, 87 and 96 together. It is the Department’s policy not to release the names of host organisations participating in the JobBridge scheme. However, over 12,000 host organisations have participated in the scheme since its inception on 1stJuly, 2011. As at 10thApril 2014, 27,781 interns had participated in JobBridge, of whom 6,666 are currently on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Development Initiatives (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together. This Department is aware of the proposals being advanced by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government for the future delivery of local and community initiatives in Fingal. My understanding is that Blanchardstown Area Partnership and Fingal Leader Partnership plan to merge their operations and that Fingal County...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (16 Apr 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. Funding of...

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

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 to 95, inclusive, 100 and 101 together. In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to reduce unemployment (including long-term and youth unemployment) is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. This strategy is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The JobsPlus Incentive was introduced on the 1stJuly, 2013 and replaced the existing Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist. JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term on the live register. The incentive is payable, on a monthly basis, over a two year period if the employee is retained in...

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are 1,726 carer’s allowance appeals currently registered with that office. The workload of the appeals office has increased dramatically in recent years. Up to 2009 the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum, whereas in 2012 the number of appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI...

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

Joan Burton: Community Employment (CE) is an option for those in long-term receipt of jobseeker's payments (for 12 months or more). There are 25,300 places available on the programme for 2014 and a budget of €358m has been earmarked for it this year. An integral part of a participant’s CE experience is the provision of accredited training under the CE Individual Learner Plan (ILP). All...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (16 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (16 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The figures requested by the Deputy relating to the main health-related payments received and finalised during 2013 and to the end of March 2014, are provided in the following table. A total of 4,501 invalidity pension appeals were received during 2013. A total of 6,968 invalidity pension appeals were finalised during that year. 80.4% of the appeals which were finalised had a successful...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (17 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Personal Public Service Number is the individual’s unique reference number for all dealings with Government Departments and public bodies. Section 262 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 provides the legislative basis for the PPS Number. Only Government Departments or public bodies authorised in legislation (or their agents) can use the PPS Number as a personal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service (17 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service was established to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to assist people in mortgage arrears or pre-arrears in assessing their options. The service, which differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice, has three elements: - The website which was developed as the key online access portal for general mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (17 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14 February 2014 together with the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer. I understand that Farm Assist is currently in payment to the person concerned. The question of arrears due to the person concerned is under appeal. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (17 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Persons who are registered as full-time students are disqualified from claiming a jobseeker’s payment and this disqualification includes the summer months except where the final year has been completed. A person who has completed a course of study and who satisfies all the conditions for payment, which include being available for full-time work and actively looking for that level of...