Results 28,461-28,480 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the Public Services Card (PSC) to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the free travel pass and the social services card of this Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families. At the end of December 2014, there were 50,306 people in receipt of FIS, of which 3,902 (7.8%) are recorded as public servants.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Social impact assessment is an evidence-based methodology to estimate the likely distributive effects of policy proposals on poverty and social inequality, including impacts on family types, lifestyle groups, and gender. The Department of Social Protection has published an integrated social impact assessment of Budgets 2013, 2014 and earlier this week of Budget 2015, using the ESRI...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: In general, PRSI contribution classes are decided by the nature of a person’s employment. Social insurance contributions paid under Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) by employers, employees, the self-employed and voluntary contributors are collected primarily through the income tax system and are paid into the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). In general the current system of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (4 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28thJanuary 2015. 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: Social Welfare Code (4 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Under social welfare legislation, the social insurance status of spouses working in a family business can vary. Spouses who are engaged in a business partnership are treated as individual self-employed contributors who are each liable to pay social insurance contributions. In addition spouses, who assist in the business of their self-employed spouse /civil partner performing the same...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Payments (4 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on the 2ndFebruary 2015 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st December 2014. The first payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will issue on 17thFebruary 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (4 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid over their working life from when...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The CSO recently published its release on the survey of income and living conditions for 2013, known as SILC. This survey found that the basic deprivation rate was 30.5%, an increase of 3.6% on the 2012 figure. The two most commonly experienced indicators of deprivation were stated as “unable to afford to replace any worn out furniture” and “unable to afford a morning,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Excuse me, Deputy, it is difficult for us to hear the Deputy on this side of the House.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: I refer to the survey published by my Department which states specifically that the particular models used are based on a model called Switch. It was not possible to take into account certain changes and this has been acknowledged. It is a comparison of social welfare and tax measures. Tax measures help people who are in work and who are liable to pay tax. Deputy O'Dea will have read the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: That is wrong.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Deputy cites Poland as an example, but our child benefit payment which went up in the recent budget and which anyone who looks at the impact of a budget will agree is extremely progressive is €135 per month. Is the Deputy seriously suggesting we move to the Polish system of child benefit, under which the payment is well below €30 or €40 per month?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Deputy is suggesting ---

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Deputy is implying that the Polish social welfare system is better than Ireland's.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Irish social welfare system provides an income which is many times that provided under the Polish system. The Deputy drew on the example of the Polish system.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Poverty Data (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: I am just pointing to the facts. The recent increase in child benefit brings the payment to €135 per child per month and it will be increased again in the next budget. I have already undertaken to do this. The child benefit payment in Ireland is going up, while the payment in Poland is relatively quite small.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The one-parent family payment scheme supports close to 70,000 recipient lone parents and their children, at an estimated cost of €607 million in 2015. Despite significant investment, lone parents continue to experience higher levels of consistent poverty than the population generally. The best route out of poverty is through employment. The one-parent family payment scheme age...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: First, we need more and better access to affordable child care services. Anyone who is a parent or who has family members, relatives or friends with child care needs will know that child care in Ireland is extremely expensive. We need to address this issue, particularly for low income families, whether they are headed by couples or lone parents. That is one of the priorities of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (5 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: First, in the budget we introduced an additional payment for those with children who went back to work. That amounts to €30 per week per child. Neither the work done by the ESRI nor the other analysis includes that because it will come into effect this year. The Deputy has chosen to ignore the fact that if someone has three children, that is €90 a week additional to family...