Results 33,381-33,400 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: The figure the Deputy quoted is a drop from what was there previously-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: -----because in fact we are putting extra resources into lone parents and we are particularly providing for the family income supplement, which means that where a lone parent goes to work, they are getting a top-up in respect of each of their children. Second, in 2015 I brought in the back to work family dividend, which means a lone parent holds on to their €29.80 per week in terms...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: No. They are better off.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: Let me repeat the official figures. A lone parent on the jobseeker's transitional payment working 15 hours at the national minimum wage will see an increase this month in his or her overall income of just over €28 per week. Deputy O'Dea is complaining that they will see an increase in their income of €1,450 per annum.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: This is as a result of the increase in the national minimum wage, which-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: -----Fianna Fáil, in its wisdom, cut by €1 an hour and which I have been happy to raise by €1 an hour and, on 1 January, by a further 50 cent an hour.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: Deputy O'Dea's record is, let us say, not the most shining given that 330,000 jobs were lost on his watch.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: The increases we are talking about are as a result of the increase in the minimum wage, the more generous means test on the jobseeker's transitional payment and the increase in fuel allowance of €2.50 a week.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: One-Parent Family Payments (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: But these are all facts.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: The State contributory pension is based on contributions paid and credited over the course of a working life and is not subject to means testing. I increased the maximum weekly personal rate in the recent budget to €233.30, with proportionate increases for qualified adults. There were more than 360,000 recipients of that pension at the end of last year, with expenditure in 2016 now...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: For people who have insufficient contributions to qualify for a full contributory State pension, there are supports available in the State pension system which assist qualification for a contributory payment based on factors such as the contributions made by their spouses and other factors likely to impact on their needs. One example is the homemaker's scheme. I was one of the people in the...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: If we had taken the Deputy's advice, we would have followed the Greek path and we would have bankrupted our pensions system. When I came into office here, the deficit or hole in the Social Insurance Fund was going past €2 billion. It ultimately went to €2.8 billion, but we have now brought it almost completely back into balance.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: I will set out what we actually did for pensioners this year and last year. We brought back the Christmas bonus. This year, we have brought in a modest increase of €3 a week. That has assisted pensioners and pro ratatheir dependants.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: The country lost 330,000 jobs.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: Sinn Féin's response was to suggest that we should go down the Greek path, follow Syriza and bankrupt the country.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: We saw the pictures of the poor pensioners at the ATMs who were not able to-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: Sinn Féin's crazy economics would actually see our pensioners follow the Greek path.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: That is what Sinn Féin suggested.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: That is what Sinn Féin suggested.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)
Joan Burton: No, it is not.