Results 32,601-32,620 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: JobPath Implementation (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy knows, we have completely reorganised the provision of the training and education in regard to the areas referred to, particularly child care. This is in order to provide a qualification opportunity for everybody who goes into child care, whether that is at level 4, level 5 or, as is increasingly demanded, level 6. If such an individual was long-term unemployed and his or her...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's benefit scheme provides income support for people who lose work and who have the required number of social insurance contributions. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure on jobseeker’s benefit of €407 million. Individuals who are self-employed cannot typically access jobseeker’s benefit as class S contributions do not qualify a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: In regard to these specific cases, departmental policy has not changed. However, the Department is currently in the process of issuing revised guidelines which will provide greater clarity to deciding officers when dealing with similar cases that involve subsidiary employment. These revised guidelines will state that in cases where a person has previously been assessed as having had...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: I do not think the problem is an issue of coding, although that may make it more identifiable. I believe that what has happened over the years is that a deciding officer has made a particular decision and then the decision has been appealed and upheld. We are now in the process of looking at that situation to ensure the guidelines are clearer. I appreciate that it is an important matter for...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: JobPath is a new approach to employment activation and it will help support people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid work. Following the completion of a public procurement process, two companies were selected to provide the JobPath service - Turas Nua and Seetec. Garda vetting is typically undertaken in respect of...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Like other Deputies, the Deputy has previously complained about the Department not having enough case officers to deal with all of the people who, unfortunately, became unemployed because of the crash and who are now going back to work in large numbers. We want to ensure this opportunity is open to everybody who has become long-term unemployed. Obviously, as the numbers reduce, some of the...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code Review (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: My Department has indicated its intention to review the current maintenance and liable relative procedures since the introduction of the one-parent family payment reforms. While this work is being actively pursued, it is a highly complex issue that involves undertaking a detailed review and any change will require legislation. The issue of maintenance payments, first and foremost, is a...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code Review (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: In 2014 the Department issued 2,586 determination orders for maintenance. As a result of the transfer of claimants from the one-parent family payment to the jobseeker's transitional payment in July 2015, 134 or 5% of liable relatives issued with determination orders in 2014 no longer have a liability under the scheme. The matter of maintenance between a couple who are separating is...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code Review (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: As I said, we are currently engaged in an indepth review of the legislation. Any changes deemed necessary will require legislation, which will be brought before the House in due course. We want to arrive at a situation whereby lone parents transitioning to jobseeker's payments, whose children are between seven and 14 years and settled in school, can be offered educational and developmental...

Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme, such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2015 Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of almost €89 million on the...

Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: One of the cruellest cuts ever made by any Government, namely, abolition of the Christmas bonus, was introduced by a Fianna Fáil-led Government.

Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: I am happy to say that it is being partially reinstated in December at a cost of almost €200 million. I am delighted to point out to the Deputy that farm families, who are in receipt of farm assist, will properly benefit from that payment.

Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Fianna Fáil cruelly took that away from such families and never sought to mitigate it in any way.

Other Questions: Farm Assist Scheme (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: In addition, families in receipt of farm assist who also get a fuel allowance will receive an increase of €2.50 per week in fuel allowance from 1 January next, which is something that Fianna Fáil in government failed to even look at.

Paris Terrorist Attack: Statements (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: Last Friday on the streets of Paris, we saw mass murder on a frightening scale. We saw multiple acts of cruelty intended to denigrate those killed and to challenge the way of life of the society in which they lived. Today, I join with others in expressing solidarity with the families and friends of the victims, as well as with the people of Paris and of France. Since Friday we have heard...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: In the context of the enhanced services provided nationally as part of Pathways to Work initiatives the Department re-engineered its business model to support the delivery of local services across all business streams, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS). The model of service delivery for CWS in South Kildare was changed from local drop-in clinics where services were only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for low paid employees with children. It is designed both to prevent in-work poverty and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. I was pleased to announce in the recent Budget that there will be an increase in the Family Income Supplement income thresholds of €5 for families with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Education and Training Provision (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The unemployed, including those who were formerly self-employed, have access to the full range of standard training courses. There are some exceptions in respect of special programmes developed and delivered specifically for long-term unemployed people, such as Momentum, or for people with disabilities but these represent just a small proportion of the overall number of places available. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Payments (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The Government recognises the significant contribution that carers make to society andprovide a range of income supports to assist with the financial burden of caring. These supports include carer'sallowance, carer's benefit, domiciliary care allowance and respite care grant which are administered by my Department.Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years and it is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (17 Nov 2015)

Joan Burton: The one-parent family payment reforms were introduced in order to address long-term social welfare dependency and poverty levels among lone parents. Approximately 25,500 customers transitioned from the one-parent family payment scheme on 2 July, 2015, when the final phase of the reforms was implemented. The majority of these customers transitioned to jobseeker’s transitional...