Results 30,061-30,080 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11th May 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 Rates (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184, 185, 187 and 188 together. The cost of increasing the State Pension Contributory (SPC) by €5 per week is just over €92 million in a full year. This cost includes the cost of proportionate increases for qualified adults and proportionate increases for those on reduced rates of SPC. The cost of increasing the State Pension Non Contributory...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The overall concern of Government in its Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.675 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2015, representing approx. 34.4% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic changes, the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3 March 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: Treatment Benefit Scheme Payments (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: Records on the number of people who have received funding for hearing aids since the treatment benefit scheme commenced, over 40 years ago, are not available. However in 2014, 7,085 people received funding for hearing aids and a further 2,292 people have received funding in the current year to date.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Payments (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The statistics requested are not available, such information is not requested from applicants as it is not relevant to the scheme. Entitlement to the hearing aid grant is based on a requirement for a hearing aid and having paid the required PRSI contributions.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports for people with disabilities. More recently-introduced income supports for people with disabilities provide support based on need rather than on the nature of the disability and I have no plans to change that approach by introducing any new schemes or allowances, based on specific disabilities. The blind person‘s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports for people with disabilities including blind pension. The blind person's pension (BPP) is a unique scheme in that it is the only social welfare payment which was introduced to cater for a specific disability. It was originally legislated for under the Blind Person‘s Act, 1920 and separate treatment of people who are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: While it is not clear to what "national network" service the Deputy is referring, the position is that a person in receipt of invalidity pension can apply for partial capacity benefit (PCB), which allows a person with a disability, who has a reduced capacity to work, to take up employment (or become self-employed) and continue to receive a social welfare income support payment. To...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Enterprise Support Schemes (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department provides income support payments in the form of the back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) and the short term enterprise allowance (STEA) to those who satisfy specific qualifying criteria and are setting up a self-employed business. For BTWEA to be approved, the business venture must be developed with the support of – and be recommended by - one of the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: Case Officers employed by my Department, operating across 13 Divisions, deliver activation and case management services through the network of Departmental Intreo Centres. Case Officers generally work in teams dedicated to activating clients and supporting them in various ways in their efforts to regain employment. The team-based approach helps to maximise efficiency and effectiveness and to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of persons currently availing of each job activation programme under my remit and the estimated expenditure is detailed in the table. Working Age Employment Support Recipients April 2015 and 2015 Expenditure Estimate Scheme ~Number of Recipients Expenditure €000 Community Employment Schemes (excluding Supervisors)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The client, who holds an Immigration Stamp 1 until 5 June 2015 applied for Jobseeker’s Benefit on the 19th of March 2015 following dismissal from his employment a month earlier. His work permit enables him to remain in Ireland if he does not enter employment without his employer obtaining a permit and he may not remain later than the specified date. On making his application, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The appeal of the person concerned against a refusal of carer’s allowance (CA) has been allowed and the application was awarded on the 20th May 2015. The first payment of CA is due to issue to the post office on the 28th May 2015. The arrears of allowance due from the 31st July 2014 to 20th May 2015 have also issued. The person in question was notified of these details on the 20th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 4th March 2015. The application was awarded on 13th May 2015 and the first payment is due to issue to the post office on 4th June 2015. Any arrears of allowance due (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Care of the Elderly Provision (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection does not provide funding in this area. Personal alarms are funded under the Senior Alert Scheme from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. In reference to the additional details supplied, Garda resources are a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11 August 2014 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 Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: Social welfare legislation provides for the disregard of certain compensation awards when assessing the means of a person for social assistance schemes, including Disability Allowance. The compensation awards disregarded include all income derived from compensation awarded by the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal, by the Residential Institutions Redress Board and in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: In every case where a one-parent family payment is awarded, the Department seeks to trace the other parent (liable relative) in order to ascertain whether he or she is in a financial position to contribute towards the cost of the one-parent family payment, in accordance with Sections 345 & 346 (1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. In the case referred to by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (26 May 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 20th March 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.