Results 26,381-26,400 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: After-School Support Services (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: In recognition of the childcare requirements of jobseekers and lone parents as part of a package of measures in Budget 2013, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I announced the after-school child care (ASCC) scheme between our two Departments. The purpose of the ASCC scheme is to help offset some of the after-school child care costs that are associated with availing of a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services Provision (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection is committed to the on-going improvement of CE to ensure the progression of the jobseeker and the support of services to communities. The newly named CE Childcare (CEC) Programme was introduced in January of this year and provided 1,800 subsidised childcare places for CE participants with children up to 5 years of age. On 8th July, it was announced that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 416 together. The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was published in January. It provides for the introduction of earlier and more intensive engagement by INTREO with the young unemployed. It also provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014, as set out in the appendix table, as follows. This figure excludes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question and that a decision has issued to the person concerned on 14 July 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together. The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. Family Income Supplement Recipients Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 30th June 2014 Number of Recipients 25,963 28,223 28,876 32,307 44,159 46,267Jobseeker's Allowance Recipients Year 2009 2010 2011 2012* 2013 30th June 2014 Number of Recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department has to operate within an employment control framework (ECF) target, as determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As part of the Department’s Workforce Plan, the staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, which includes identifying areas where there are downward pressures because of the localisation or cessation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department’s total expenditure allocation for 2014 is €19.6 billion. There was an under-spend of €23.6 million, or 0.2%, on the Department’s overall expenditure on schemes, services and administration at the end of June 2014. This performance is very close to target. Given the demand-led nature of the vast majority of the schemes operated by the Department,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation. There are approximately 76,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. A review of the maximum rent limits has commenced and will feed into the budgetary process. This review involves a comprehensive...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Government’s primary strategy to reduce long-term unemployment has been 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 working. Employment has risen by about 70,000 since the recovery began in 2012. Despite the progress that has been made on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The total number of claims registered and awarded in each of the past five years to date is set out in the following tabular statement. Claims from self-employed persons are not segregated from other claimants for reporting purposes. Claims Registered in Each Year 2009 To May 2014 Scheme 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 May 2014 State Pension (Non-Contributory) 10,802 9,835 7,344 9,035 9,429...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The numbers of Dental Benefit claims received and paid over the past five years were as follows: Year Recd Paid 2009 833,844 733,234 2010 339,595 388,938 2011 346,480 272,865 2012 292,147 270,602 2013 324,134 298,658The apparent discrepancy in the number of customers qualifying and having claims paid in 2010 is as a result of a surge in applications in the last weeks of 2009, following...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: Optical and dental benefit is normally paid directly to the practitioner who provided the examination to the qualified person. Claims received in one calendar month are paid in the subsequent month, with payment sent to the practitioner’s bank account on the second Friday of the month. Applications from individuals to establish if an entitlement exists, which account for approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014. An application can be made...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief Eligibility (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: Following a review, the client was requested, in line with Departmental guidelines, to contact her mortgage provider with a view to restructuring her loan and to inform the Department of the outcome. In addition, following an earlier parliamentary question on this matter, an officer of the Department contacted the client to offer assistance and again requested certain documents to be...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Civil Registration Act, 2004 represented a significant development in the provisions governing civil registration of life events in Ireland and was a major overhaul of legislation dating back to 1844. The ten years since its enactment have seen significant changes in Irish society. The aim of the Bill is to allow for the further modernisation of the civil registration service so as to...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: It is not.

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (15 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I thank all the Senators who contributed to this very interesting debate. The Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 is the second of three that I intend to introduce to modernise the civil registration services. In December 2012 in this House, we began a discussion on the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012. The legislation was commenced in January 2013 and it added secular bodies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2015 (16 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Government, in its Statement of Priorities for 2014 – 2016 published last Friday, is committed to increasing the household benefits package by €100 in Budget 2015 to compensate older people and other vulnerable groups for the introduction of water charges. Furthermore, the Government's priorities for the period to 2016 also include a commitment to the full retention of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (16 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to customers under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. There are currently over 790,000 customers in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million. The freeze on funding for the scheme introduced by the previous government in 2010 as...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 8thJuly 2014 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer's decision when the appeal has been determined....