Results 32,481-32,500 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (10 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned commenced a Community Employment (CE) scheme on 11thOctober 2010 under the Part-Time Integration (PTI) option. This option caters for persons under 55 years of age who have spent a period of less than 3 years on the Live Register before commencing CE. As set out in the scheme guidelines, this option is a work programme offering eligible participants part-time work and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (10 Nov 2015)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department is administering the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The regulations governing the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Statutory Instrument 434 of 2015 provided for the extension of the deadline for the submission of a completed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Investment Projects (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Expenditure on capital investment in my Department is divided into two areas, Facilities and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. The following table outlines the total cost of ongoing and approved Facilities projects by county together with their status as of 10 November 2015 - Description Properties County € Status Thurles Thurles Tipperary 1,276,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Notification from the person concerned was received by the department on 5thNovember 2015 with regard to the cessation of their community employment scheme. Disability allowance payment has been re-instated with effect from 21 October 2015. First payment by her chosen payment method will be on 18 November 2015. Arrears due to the person in question have issued by cheque on 10 November 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (11 Nov 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 disallow 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Fuel Allowance scheme assists householders on long-term welfare with meeting the costs of their heating needs during the winter season. In order to qualify for the scheme a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department, live alone or only with one of a list of exempted persons and satisfy a means test. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to people with disabilities who require full-time care and attention and whose income falls below certain limits. The means test that applies to applicants for CA, assesses any income belonging to the carer and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, including any...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department is administering the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The regulations governing the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Statutory Instrument 434 of 2015 provided for the extension of the deadline for the submission of a completed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on the 27 October 2015. The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and the person in question will be notified directly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 03 September 2015. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 October 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: Poverty Data (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The consistent poverty rates for children for the latest five-year period for which data are available are set out in the table. As well as year to year trends, it is also important to look at trends over the medium term. The average rate of child poverty in the period since the economic crisis commenced (2009-201) was 9.7 per cent, as compared with an average rate of 8.7 per cent in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Recipients of the jobseeker’s transitional payment are eligible for both the Christmas bonus and the fuel allowance. Recipients of the back to work family dividend are not eligible for the fuel allowance but will receive the Christmas bonus.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: In order to determine the circumstances of the person in question, his disability allowance (DA) file was forwarded to his local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI). I am informed that the SWI has interviewed the person in question and his report is in transit back to DA section. A decision on his entitlement to DA will be made immediately on receipt of the SWI's report.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The primary objective of the Department’s information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of the wide range of schemes and services available and that they are kept informed of changes as they occur. This includes giving timely and accurate advice to people who contact any of the department’s offices. The Department operates a network of some 122Intreo, local...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Leaders' Questions (12 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: I understand the speech by the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, was an address to Chartered Accountants Ireland. I suppose that if he was talking to accountants, he may well have addressed the issue of accountants' roles in the various elements of the health services.

Leaders' Questions (12 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, was very clearly giving a personal view. I think he indicated that and these were his wide-ranging thoughts on how the health services might develop as he saw it. He has done that and it is one of the things that people find very attractive about the Minister, as he engaged in very broad-ranging discussions on his views. He did that before the last election-----

Leaders' Questions (12 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: -----and I presume he is doing it now before this election in speaking to a variety of areas. The Deputy asked if I agree with what he has to say. I welcome the fact that he is speaking broadly, setting out his own views and giving great thought to them. It does not mean that anybody has to particularly agree with any or all of his views. It is a free country with free speech. In that...