Results 25,461-25,480 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (7 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was awarded jobseeker’s allowance on 31 January 2014. Based on the information provided, he was assessed with self-employment means of €6,580 per annum or €127 per week which equates to a weekly entitlement of €61. He did not appeal this decision. If the person concerned wishes to seek a review of his means, he should contact his local...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (7 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (7 May 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department provides services from a network of external Branch Offices, which are independently owned and staffed. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, there is an obligation on all employers, including Branch Managers, to have a Safety Statement & Risk Assessment completed for their offices and available for inspection. From time to time, there...

Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support for 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. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, not to act as an...

Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I am interested in the Deputy's comment that local people believe there are empty private investor apartments in Ballymun. It would be helpful to get data on this point to find out how many we are talking about. Some 180 people are in receipt of rent supplement in the Ballymun area. The regeneration project has cost €750 million and it is one of the biggest investments by the State...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I was advised of this issue some time ago. No more than the Deputy, I was very shocked at how the job initiative workers were advised of this. Deputy Johan Collins, her colleague, Deputy Eric Byrne, and others have been involved for a number of weeks in seeking to assist the job initiative workers and to reassure them. There is no threat to their position from the point of view of the...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The renewed application for this scheme was received and subsequently withdrawn. Obviously, the existing sponsor was free to do this. I understand this came as a bit of a surprise to a number of the Deputy's colleagues, particularly people such as Deputy Eric Byrne. The Dublin 12 Congress Centre is carrying out valuable work with its community employment scheme and its jobs club and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Contributions paid under Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) by employers, employees, the self-employed and voluntary contributors are paid into the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). The social insurance (PRSI) system is mandatory and insures nearly all workers and the self-employed for a range of contingencies such as old age, ill health, maternity and unemployment. The range of contingencies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 101 together. The average time to award carers' allowance and invalidity pension applications at the end of March was 35 and 40 weeks respectively. New applications for carer’s allowance are currently decided upon inside 12.5 weeks on average and invalidity pension claims are currently decided upon within 8 weeks of receipt. The overall...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 103 together. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average times taken to process carer's allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 32.7 weeks and 36 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. The current average times taken to process invalidity pension appeals decided by summary decision is 31.2 weeks and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Medical Assessors are fully qualified and experienced medical practitioners who provide an opinion for the guidance of the Department's Deciding Officers. Their medical assessments conform to the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Medical Council. Medical Assessors are required to be medical practitioners who are on the general register of medical practitioners while holding an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: JobBridge Internships are open to jobseekers who have been in receipt of an eligible Social Welfare payment (Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, One Parent Family Payment, Disability Benefit) or signing for credits for 3 months (78 days) out of the previous 6 months. The scheme has been launched in this targeted way to allocate scarce exchequer resources to make maximum impact for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (8 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 3 January 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 Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Increasing State pension age and the abolition of the State pension (transition) are steps that have been taken to ensure the sustainability of pensions into the future. These decisions were taken in the context of changing demographics and the fact that people are living longer and healthier lives: - There are currently 5.3 people of working age for every pensioner and this ratio is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The maximum rent limit applicable to North Kildare for their family composition is €850 per month. The client will receive a once-off arrears payment for the month of April to address an underpayment in that month.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker’s allowance is a means tested scheme and, in the case of a couple, account is taken of the means of both members of the couple. Where the second member of the couple is a qualified adult and the qualified adult is in employment, gross earnings are reduced by any PRSI, superannuation or payment to a trade union. €20 per day worked (subject to a maximum of €60...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 26 February 2014. In late March, medical evidence was received and has been referred to a medical assessor for an up to date opinion as to the person’s eligibility. Once this is received, the application will be reviewed by a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (8 May 2014)

Joan Burton: There has been no change in the position in this case since the Deputy’s last Parliamentary Question. This is due to the fact that the person concerned has not yet made contact with this Department to provide the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (8 May 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...