Results 26,881-26,900 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: A key objective of the transfer of the community welfare service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1st October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. When the CWS transferred to the Department in October 2011 there were approximately 760 full time equivalent community welfare officers delivering the full range of community welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 58 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: Mortgage Interest Relief Application (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: As detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 118 of 23 January 2014, certain documents were outstanding in relation to the application for mortgage interest supplement from this client. Despite numerous written requests from the Department over a sustained period which were also followed up with phone calls to the client none of the requested documentation was submitted,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of one parent family payment from 13 August 2009 to 23 July 2014. Her claim was reviewed by a Social Welfare Inspector in August 2014 when it was brought to the Department’s attention that a person other than the person concerned had attempted to collect her payment from the Post Office. During the review it was established that she had been absent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The JobsPlus Scheme was introduced from 1 July, 2013. Monthly payments are made to employers who employ persons who have been at least twelve months on the Live Register. At the end of September 2014, payments were been made to 2,272 employers in respect of 2,999 new jobs. Table 1 below shows the number of businesses, by county, who are receiving a JobsPlus payment for one or more...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned requested a review of his rate of disability allowance (DA) which was already in payment at a reduced rate. Following a revised decision he has now been awarded an increase in his DA payment, with effect from 28 May 2014, to €188.00 per week which is the maximum weekly rate for a single person. Arrears of payment due will issue in the next few days to his...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: There is no report in relation to this issue. These cases are being dealt with on an individual basis and are the subject of ongoing investigation in my Department. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the likely outcome of these investigations at this stage.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Rates (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: An increase in the employers’ PRSI contribution rate payable on the portion of salaries above €100,000 could only be considered in a Budgetary context and would have to take account of the Programme for Government commitment to maintain the standard 10.75% rate of employer PRSI.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Legal Cases (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The information in relation to this parliamentary question is currently being compiled in my Department and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the back to education allowance ( BTEA) scheme will have to satisfy a number of conditions such as being a certain age, in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education held...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Given the scale of unemployment levels, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments, and in particular those who have been receiving such payments for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of rent supplement from this Department from September 2012 until August 2014 on the basis of an assessable rent of €875 per month and income from her jobseeker’s allowance payments. In August 2014 the person concerned applied for an increase in rent supplement as the rent on her accommodation had increased to €975 per month. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The allocations for the Department in 2015, including the allocations for Departmental agencies, are currently being considered as part of the budgetary and estimates process. The outcome of this process will be contained in the Budget Day estimates which will be published on Budget Day (14 October next).

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the above named person on 8 September 2014. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in service delivery and disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. The programme is funded by the Department with day-to-day management of contracts undertaken by Pobal. Contract holders must deliver tangible services that are capable of generating non-public revenues from their operations by way of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Due to an administrative error when processing the jobseeker’s benefit claim of the person concerned an overpayment occurred. Clondalkin Local Office will arrange to meet with the person concerned in order to discuss this matter. I can confirm that all contributions paid by the person concerned are linked to her new PPS number and were considered when processing this case.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (7 Oct 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: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 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 19 August 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: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department has a range of training and education schemes available to assist jobseekers in their efforts to return to employment. Whereas the Department of Education and Skills has the lead role in supporting students, this Department focuses resources on supporting jobseekers to the return to work by upskilling. The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides an approved jobseeker with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Placements (7 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 144 together. Internship opportunities are advertised by host organisations, including schools, at their discretion. When advertising internship opportunities host organisations undertake to comply with the stringent criteria that the Department applies for the protection of the intern and the integrity of the JobBridge scheme. In addition to these...