Results 29,361-29,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and guardians payment (contributory). Self-employed workers may also access social welfare supports by establishing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department received an application for Rent Supplement from the client concerned on 27th March 2015. The clients Rent Supplement claim was awarded on 1st April 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The general eligibility conditions for entitlement to State Pension Contributory for claimants and their dependants are set out in legislation, primarily in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 142 of 2007), as amended. Section 112(1) of the Act provides for an increase in the weekly rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 to 61, inclusive, together. The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability, and to this end the Department provides a wide range of income and work related supports for people with disabilities, which play an important role in supporting increased participation in the labour force by people...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Irish Language (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service in both Irish and English. To this end a range of forms, leaflets and other documents is available in both Irish and English on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie. Where customers correspond with us in Irish, they are replied to in Irish.However, due to the large number of Departmental offices nationwide, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 8th July 2014. The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 29th September 2014 advising of the decision. A review of this decision was requested on the 11th November 2014. The application was examined...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Data (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department collects information from a claimant’s medical practitioner on the nature of the illness giving rise to the claim for disability allowance (DA) in order to make a formal decision on entitlement. This information at present is not readily accessible to enable the Department to make use of that data to identify trends etc. However, the Department is pursuing relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Procedures have been agreed between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education and Skills (D/ES) that ensure that all one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients who are participating in full-time education on a qualified course, including on a post-graduate course, will be able to complete their course with income support – subject to the normal OFP scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: In March 2015, my Department registered 14,880 claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) and 11,373 for Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB). During the month the average times for the awarding of JA and JB claims were 2 weeks and 1 week, respectively. My Department has measurable performance targets for the majority of schemes under its remit. The performance target for JA and JB is that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy for carer’s benefit is not available on a county basis. Breakdown of the number of carer's benefit awarded/disallowed from 1 January 2014 to date in 2015; breakdown of the number of carer’s allowance awarded/disallowed from 1 January 2014 to date in 2015, with an indicative breakdown by County (*); the average waiting time for a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: At the end of March 2014 there were approximately 4,200 carer’s allowance applications awaiting decision and approximately 345 carer’s benefit applications awaiting decision. The average time taken to award a new claim is currently 12 weeks for carer’s allowance, and 8 weeks for carer’s benefit. Where a request is made for a review of a decision on a new claim or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Home-makers Scheme (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The homemaker’s scheme was introduced in 1994 to make qualification for State pension contributory (SPC) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or incapacitated people, to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being calculated for pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Fuel Scheme (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department provides assistance towards heating costs through the National Fuel Allowance Scheme each year. In 2014 this was paid to over 408,000 eligible households at a cost of approx. €218 million. The Department does not have a grant scheme that provides for the purchase of solid fuel stoves or ranges.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Postal Services (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I am aware of the concerns that have been raised over the past few weeks in relation to the letters that issued from my Department. These concerns have been the subject of much discussion in the Dáil and the Seanad. In addition the Department is currently responding to various representations on the issue. The letters, which were issued to a small number of customers in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 12thMarch 2015, 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: Water Conservation Grant (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: A water conservation grant of €100 will be paid, beginning in September 2015, to households that have registered with Irish Water by 30 June 2015. The Department of Social Protection will pay the grant on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. A website, , has been established to provide information on the application process. This website will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a monthly universal payment made to families with children, which assists all parents with the cost associated with raising children. Child benefit is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014. Child benefit as a “universal” payment is paid in respect of all...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Postal Services (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Successive Governments and this one most notably, have consistently stated its commitment to maintaining the post office network as set out in the Programme for Government. It is Government policy that An Post remains a strong and viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focussed network of post offices in the community. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers were received by that office on 23 March 2015 and that the case will be 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (15 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The purpose of section 4 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill), 2015 is to clarify that eligibility for the carer’s benefit (CB), carer’s allowance (CA) and respite care grant (RCG) schemes is determined by a deciding officer on the basis of all of the information, including medical, available to him or her in relation to that claim. The information...