Results 28,161-28,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: Where a farmer is in receipt of a payment from the agri-environment schemes known as the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and AEOS, social welfare legislation provides, for the purpose of certain social welfare schemes, for the disregard of the first €2,539.48 of such payments and the further disregard of half of the remaining balance. The relevant schemes are farm assist,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The payment of Rent Supplement is a matter between the Department and the tenant, subject to the tenant satisfying the eligibility criteria and payment issues directly to the tenant. Where the Department is notified of issues regarding a tenant not passing the Rent Supplement to the landlord, the Department can request the tenant to authorise payment directly to the landlord. This can only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: State Pensions account for the single largest block of welfare expenditure, and while expenditure on pensions is increasing because of demographic pressures, this is being successfully managed within the overall welfare budget, which continues to fall. This year, the Department of Social Protection will spend an estimated €6.675 billion on pensions – 34.4% of all welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for domiciliary care allowance in respect of her child on 17 October 2014. The application was disallowed as it was considered that the child did not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A decision letter issued to the customer on 12 January 2015 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (14 Jan 2015)

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: Illness Benefit Appeals (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. In 2015 my Department will spend an estimated €254.16 million on maternity benefit and adoptive benefit, a related scheme. Based on this estimate the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I am very aware of the funding difficulties facing many pension schemes at this time. A number of both legislative and administrative changes have been made in recent years to assist employer and the trustees of pension schemes address the funding challenges facing such schemes. The most recent changes to pension legislation extended the options available to the trustees of a pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The average appeal processing time for 2014 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the following table. Appeal processing times peaked in 2011 when the average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and for a summary decision was 25.1 weeks. In 2012 the average processing time for an oral hearing dropped to 39.5 weeks and the time for a summary decision increased...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Payments (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 74 and 110 together. My Department is continuing to review the position to establish what, if anything, can be done to progress payments to individuals in situations where employers cease trading without engaging in a formal winding-up process, and who owe moneys to their employees. My officials are consulting with a range of interested parties...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Stát Seirbhís (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: Tháinig síneadh mór ar ról agus feidhmeanna na Roinne le 2 bhliain anuas, inar aistríodh breis agus 1,700 comhalta foirne agus a bhfeidhmeanna a bhí ag oibriú, ag an tráth sin, ó bhreis agus 900 láthair. Rinne an Roinn a gnólacht a athstruchtúrú agus a athchumrú ón mbonn aníos, agus rinneadh athruithe ar...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 5 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 an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. At the end of December there were 1,333 systematic short time workers and 80 week on / week off workers in receipt of a social welfare payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The number of part time and casual workers under 25 years of age on the live register at the end of December 2014 was 8,377. A breakdown of this number by scheme and gender is detailed in the following tabular statement. Under 25s on the Live Register in part-time or casual employment, December 2014 Scheme Male Female Total Jobseeker’s Allowance 3,494 3,895 7,389...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Data (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The following table 1 gives a breakdown of carers who received the annual Respite Care Grant during each of the years 2012 to 2014. The table records details of one payment only to each carer. As a result, any additional payment made to a carer in respect of a second, or subsequent, ill person (some 5,000 cases roughly) are not included. Nor does the report contain details when arrears are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The department informs me that there is no application by the person concerned for carer’s allowance registered. If the person in question wishes to make an application, she should complete and return an application form (CR1) to carer’s allowance section in the social welfare services office, Longford, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: Section 18 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012 made provision for the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) to borrow monies directly from the Exchequer Central Fund via the Pay Master General (PMG) for temporary cashflow purposes given the timing differences between SIF related expenditure, which is evenly spread throughout each month, while the bulk of PRSI income is received in the latter...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: Following the notification of the decision of the Clones Branch Office Manager to retire on 6February 2015 a review of the delivery of the Department’s services in North County Monaghan was carried out.Over the last number of years the Department has developed a new integrated income support, employment and support service called ‘Intreo’, and has been transforming its...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU Directives (14 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department is, at present, responsible for the transposition of one EU Directive as outlined below. While Ireland is already substantially compliant with the minimum requirements provided for in this Directive, the Department will amend any law, regulation or administrative provision required should it be necessary to give it full effect. Directive No Title Date for Transposition...