Results 29,121-29,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: Child care policy, including the delivery, cost and the expansion of child care services, is the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (D/CYA). The amount of payment that a recipient of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) receives depends on their average weekly earnings. For persons with average weekly earnings of €90 or less, the full rate of OFP may be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a payment to people on low incomes who are looking after a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). To be entitled to CA the applicant must be providing full-time care and attention to a person in need of care who does not normally live in an institution. These conditions apply whether the carer is or is not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (24 Mar 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 Protection and of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 5thJanuary 2015.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 have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been in receipt of rent supplement from this Department in respect of his current address since June 2013. It recently came to light that he had been in receipt of a private pension from his previous employment since December 2014 which the Department was unaware of. As a consequence of this information his claim for rent supplement was reassessed on 10thMarch 2015,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The issue of maintenance payments is first and foremost a private matter for the person concerned, and if she cannot resolve the problem, for the Courts through family law provisions. In every case where a one parent family payment is awarded, this Department seeks to trace the other parent, referred to as the liable relative, in order to ascertain whether he or she is in a financial position...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29thJanuary 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: Household Benefits Scheme (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The monthly allowances under the household benefits package are a contribution towards the cost of services; they are not intended to meet those costs in full. The telephone allowance was introduced at a time when telephones were expensive and uncommon and a landline service was the only option available to the client. The market has changed considerably since the introduction of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The purpose of JobBridge is to help unemployed jobseekers break the cycle whereby they cannot find a job without appropriate experience but cannot find appropriate experience without a job. To date it has been very successful in delivering on this objective with this success being partly attributable to the wide variety of internship opportunities that it supports. Given that unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Education and Training Provision (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department of Education and Skills (DES) have advised my Department that the provision of further education and training in the area in question is an operational one for Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). The DES will ask DDLETB to respond to the Deputy directly with the information requested. My Department is however actively engaging with those lone...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer 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 is responsible...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (24 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Rates (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: It is understood that the Deputy is seeking the costs associated with monthly, as distinct from weekly, increases by the amounts stated. The full year cost of increasing Child Benefit by €5, €10, €15 and €20 per month is €71.6 million, €143.1 million, €214.7 million and €286.2 million, respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: A claim for medical and surgical benefit was received in respect of the person concerned on 26thFebruary 2015. Qualification for treatment benefit is based on an individual's PRSI contribution history, or alternatively they may qualify as a dependant spouse. The person concerned is not qualified in her own right as she does not have sufficient PRSI contributions paid or credited. Neither...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The State pension 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 and the reform measures introduced to date go somewhat toward that goal. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Applications (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that the child dependant payment due to the person referred to by the Deputy was approved for payment with effect from 1stSeptember 2014. The weekly rural social scheme payment will be increased from 27thMarch 2015 and arrears of payment due issued on 13thMarch.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14thJanuary 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: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The procurement of supplies and services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner. Public procurement is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. In particular procurement practice is governed by EU Directive 18 of 2004and supported by procurement guidelines published by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Bodies Data (25 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 33 together. The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition, the functions of the former Pensions Board have been replaced by the Pensions Authority, established March 2014 and the...