Results 28,021-28,040 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: To satisfy the eligibility criteria for the Christmas bonus, the person concerned must have been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for a minimum of 390 days on 26/11/2014, the commencement date of the payment week in which the bonus payment fell due. The person concerned had only been paid jobseeker’s allowance for 362 days up to this date and therefore does not qualify for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1980 and was paid annually (at varying rates) until it was abolished in 2009. I was pleased to be in the position to partially restore the bonus this year. A 25% bonus was paid in the first week of December to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of the fact that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Under the contract for the provision of cash payment services An Post are required to ensure that 95% of social welfare customers are within 3kms of an Outlet in an urban area, and 95% of social welfare customers are within 15kms of an Outlet in a rural area. I am advised that An Post, using the GeoDirectory database, verifies that this requirement is being met and even exceeded regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7thAugust 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: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29thSeptember 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 23rd June 2014. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of additional evidence or new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: At present neither myself nor the Minister of State have any travel plans from now until the end of 2015. However, I would expect that we will be represented at meetings of EU employment and social affairs Ministers (EPSCO) which are due to take place in 2015. Decisions in that regard will be made nearer the dates of the meetings as attendance will depend on the agendas and other business...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period should be implemented on a phased basis. Starting...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 05thDecember 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 5th November 2014. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 10 weeks to process...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 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 05thNovember 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 05thNovember 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28thApril 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: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was informed of the Appeals Officers decision on 12thAugust 2014. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Dec 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 9 December 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: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's allowance (JA) transitional arrangement is available to lone parents who have previously been in receipt of the one-parent family payment (OFP) within the last three years, are parenting alone, are eligible for a JA payment and have a youngest child between 7 and 13 years of age, inclusive. Individuals who qualify for the JA transitional arrangement are exempt from having to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (16 Dec 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 04th November 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a long-term payment for persons who are permanently incapable of work and who satisfy the social insurance (PRSI) conditions. A total of 260 weeks PRSI paid and 48 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the last complete tax year before the relevant date are required to satisfy the PRSI conditions for IP. The reckonable PRSI contribution classes for IP are A, E and H....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 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 4 November 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Cumas Gaeilge sa Stát Seirbhís (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Tá sé beartaithe ag an Roinn tabhairt faoi iniúchadh go luath an bhliain seo chugainn chun na poist shonracha a shainaithint ina dteastaíonn feidhm dhátheanach. Thug an Roinn faoi shuirbhé chun an fhoireann a shainaithint atá toilteanach agus in ann seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge a sholáthar agus chuir siad bearta i bhfeidhm lena chinntiú...