Results 28,501-28,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Other Questions: Water Conservation Grant (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Similarly, the water conservation grant which will be paid to qualifying households at the rate of €100 per year will be paid to households to assist them in conserving water and making minor repairs, for example, to fix leaking cisterns or dripping taps, which would push up their water consumption rates. That is what it is about.
- Other Questions: Water Conservation Grant (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Originally, it was going to be done through a social welfare payment and tax arrangement-----
- Other Questions: Water Conservation Grant (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----but it is much better to do it on the basis of a universal payment to qualifying households. I am confident that we will be able to deliver the payment which will start in September. We must rely on the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, on behalf of which we are doing this. That is why we have had discussions with it.
- Other Questions: Water Conservation Grant (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: We are involved in discussions on it. I gave the Deputy the honest answer.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: We had a detailed discussion on this issue in dealing with a prior question. People are entering a transitional period in that, for a further six or seven years, they will move to jobseeker's transitional payments. However, the Deputy was not present for that discussion.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy should bear in mind that the move to a transitional payment is in respect of children up to 13 years of age. Some 69,884 lone parents are being supported under the one-parent family payment scheme, at an estimated cost to the Department of Social Protection and taxpayers of approximately €607 million in 2015. When introducing the one-parent family payment scheme age change...
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The majority of lone parents are not in work.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: There is absolutely no change in their payments. The reason the changes are being brought in is to give parents, when their child reaches seven years of age, a six-year transition period to enable them, in particular, to become involved in education or training with a view to being able get employment when their children are older and in second level education, because the best route out of...
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Deputy Coppinger's colleague was one of the principal organisers of the event in Jobstown.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The people who organised that event cast a slur on the very good people of Jobstown.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: This was an event to celebrate-----
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----the success of people from the local community-----
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----including a number of lone parents, who were graduating with a degree. Graduating with a degree and going to college might mean nothing to the Deputy, but I come from a very strong working class background.
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Actually, a lone parent-----
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Deputy Coppinger can defend-----
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I am convinced that helping lone parents into education and training and helping them get a job, and the Jobstown-----
- Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The Jobstown graduation was to celebrate that, for people from the community. That is the right approach.
- Other Questions: Child Benefit Administration (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Child benefit is a payment to parents for the support of their children. It is paid to some 615,000 families in respect of 1.18 million children, with an expenditure of approximately €1.9 billion in 2014. This payment, I am happy to say, increased by €5, to €135 per month, with effect from January 2015. Child benefit will remain a universal payment because of its...
- Other Questions: Child Benefit Administration (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I am not sure the Deputy's final point is correct. On the issue of whether a child attends school or receives home schooling, the Constitution provides that parents have a significant role in decisions regarding their children. The legislation must reflect the constitutional rights of all citizens. The good news I have for the Deputy is that the troika left town some time ago. I note a...
- Other Questions: Child Benefit Administration (5 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Control checks are important and play a significant role in cases where people are changing residence or moving to another country.