Results 26,081-26,100 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 Jun 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 23 June 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 102, inclusive, together. The one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme has played an important role in providing income support to lone parents since its introduction in 1997. The number of OFP recipients stood at 77,209 in May, 2014, and an estimated €863 million is due to be spent on the scheme in 2014. However, despite significant levels of...

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

Joan Burton: The overall concern in Budget 2014 and previous budgets has been to protect primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provides an annual saving of €22 million. This allows the Department to protect other more fundamental social welfare payments such as the State pension. I have no plans to reinstate the grant. There are a range of supports available for people...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26 March 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 12 May...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (26 Jun 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 23 June 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Rent Supplement can be assessed for person in question on receipt of an application, subject to their meeting the qualifying conditions for rent supplement such as verification that they have been assessed as having a housing need and rental being secured within the maximum rent limit for their family composition and location.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: There is no record of an application for an exceptional needs payment from the couple concerned. If they wish to make an application they should contact their local community welfare service at 045 887830 and leave their contact details and a community welfare officer will get back to them.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Records show that the person concerned was last in receipt of a payment (Jobseekers Allowance) in March 2011. He is not currently in receipt of a payment from the Department and therefore would not qualify for Back to Education Allowance.

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

Joan Burton: Employee PRSI is not charged where weekly earnings are €352 or less. Where weekly earnings exceed €352, employees become liable for PRSI and PRSI at 4% is charged on all earnings. As Minister for Social Protection, I am on the record as indicating that one of my key goals is to reform the system of social protection and to put it on a sounder financial footing for the future....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Prior to January 2013, where an employee’s weekly earnings exceeded €352, he or she was liable to pay PRSI on all earnings, less the weekly PRSI free allowance of €127. (For persons paying PRSI at the modified rate of contribution, the PRSI free allowance was €26.) This allowance was abolished in Budget 2013 and PRSI is now payable on allearnings once the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Over the last three years, many changes have been made to the social protection system to improve its long-term sustainability and to ensure we have a modem, responsible welfare state that provides both a safety net for those who need it and a springboard back to work for those who want it. There can be no doubt about the hardship and difficulties which the economic crisis has caused for our...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Such persons are ordinarily resident in the State.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I will just go through a number of points that were made. Senator Marie-Louise O’Donnell asked about analysing the recovery of the repayments. They are very significant. For the three years of this Government we have recovered €175 million in overpayments. If people look at the social welfare bill, in 2010 the recovery of overpayments was €34 million; in 2011 it was...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Since then, in the lifetime of this Government, the number of post office closures has slowed down.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: There has been a certain amount of political scaremongering about post offices. Post offices are important not just in rural areas, but in city centres and disadvantaged communities in urban areas. Anyone with a bank account tends to use that facility to receive a retirement pension or child benefit payment. Much and all as one may admire and like one’s local post office, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219, 245 and 246 together. The 2015 Budget will be considered by Government in the forthcoming months and will be announced on October 14. Changes to the household benefits, free travel and fuel allowance schemes and the re-introduction of a bonus at Christmas would have to be considered in that context. In this regard, the cost of increasing fuel allowance by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (1 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Living Alone Allowance (LAA) was introduced from October 1977, and is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (1 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Government has provided over €344 million for the rent supplement scheme in 2014, the purpose of which 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on the 25th June 2014 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st May 2014. Payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will be available in the nominated bank account on the 15th July 2014 and on the third Tuesday of each month thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (1 Jul 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 convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...