Results 25,421-25,440 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department of Social Protection. The Department processes in excess of 2.3 million claims each year and it makes payments to over 1.5 million people every week. Overpayments are generally defined as money obtained contrary to - or in excess of - a valid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. This is particularly important given the challenges in relation to the future sustainability of the State pension, with increased numbers of older...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216, 242 and 243 together. The information sought by the Deputies is contained in the following table which shows expenditure for carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit, domiciliary care allowance and respite care grant for each year since 2007. Since 2007, expenditure on carers payments by the Department has increased by almost €376 million...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Registration of Births (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The loss of a child in any circumstances is an extremely tragic event and I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to those families who have lost a child through stillbirth. The voluntary registration of stillbirths is provided for in section 28 of the Civil Registration Act 2004. The definition of a “stillborn child” is contained in section 2(1) of that Act and provides that a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Some 410,000 customers have received the fuel allowance of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2014. The allowance is subject to a means test and is paid only to those who live alone or with certain exempted people. The electricity or gas allowance of €35 per month is also paid to 410,000 customers at an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The total number of persons on the live register at the end of April 2013 was 388,559; of this total, 9,396 had health related occupations. The number of nurses is not separately identified within this total and consequently, the number of nurses on the live register is not available in my Department. A tabular statement detailing the number of registrants in health related occupations on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was previously self-employed and paying PRSI contributions at class S. Class S contributions are not reckonable for illness benefit purposes. Only PRSI contributions paid at classes A, E, H and P count towards eligibility for illness benefit. A person who does not qualify for illness benefit may apply for disability allowance or supplementary welfare allowance, subject...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (6 May 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 15 April 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (6 May 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 30 April 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pensions Data (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The figures requested by the Deputy relating to Invalidity Pension appeals received and finalised during 2013 and to the end of April 2014, are provided in the 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 outcome for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (6 May 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 16 April 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (6 May 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 29 April 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 27 February 2014. 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: Invalidity Pension Appeals (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 April 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: Job Initiatives (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Discussions are ongoing between this department and Offaly County Council. However, the matter is primarily one for Offaly County Council who made the original decision to cease the job initiative scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person’s disability allowance application was disallowed on 16 April, 2014 on the basis that her weekly means exceeded the statutory limit allowable for a person in her circumstances. The means assessed against the person were derived from earnings from her spouse‘s employment. If the person’s circumstances change in the future it is open to her to re-apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 to 246, inclusive, together. 137 host organisations have taken on more than one intern under the Jobbridge scheme in County Mayo since the scheme commenced in July 2011. However, a host organisation may not, for a period of six months, take on another JobBridge intern in the same position as their previous JobBridge intern, except where the previous...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (6 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Office of the Revenue Commissioners advises that while it continues to support “Level W” numbers for the limited range of non-assessable spouse options, e.g., where a couple is being jointly assessed for tax purposes, its systems now require a non “Level W” number where they are dealing with an individual in their own right. Accordingly, Revenue asks people...