Results 33,761-33,780 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (20 Jan 2016)

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: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (20 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance (CA) can be paid to a person at half the normal rate where they are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. The person concerned is in receipt of half rate Carer’s Allowance (CA) since 1 January 2009 as she was in receipt of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP). Following a review of her entitlement to OFP, that payment to her ceased with effect from 10...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (20 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: The State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating pension entitlement. Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes. The total reckonable...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (20 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer's allowance from the person concerned on 16 November 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: That is exactly what the Department has been doing. In particular, the officer in charge of the Limerick region personally went house to house to find out if there are elderly or retired people there who might not have many family members around. We did that on all of the worst nights of the flooding.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: People are very conscious of that fact because numerous people have contacted us to congratulate and thank those particular staff. The communities, families and individuals who have gone in to help, including many local public representatives, have been acting in partnership and I thank and compliment all of them. I see it is forecast that the weather will be slightly rainier next week but...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: We deal with this every year there are instances of flooding. As a matter of interest, we initiated our emergency plans in Clare and in Tralee in County Kerry on 6 December. In both instances, there were small-scale levels of flooding during the week of 4, 5 and 6 December. If Deputy Dooley wishes to draw individual cases to my attention, where he would like to see families getting more,...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: As I said earlier, it is essentially a three phase process. First is the immediate emergency, for which payments tend to be small, covering things like foodstuffs and essentials that may have been destroyed or contaminated as a consequence of the flood. In the second phase, it is up to people and it depends on how quickly the floodwaters recede. Often people may stay elsewhere while...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: In that particular case, again, they will go to a company and maybe with their own help, they can do some of that. There is a level of expertise generally required for some of that work.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: If they go to the community welfare service and look-----

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: We have actually provided for pumps and all kinds of assistance to people.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, it would be helpful if he gave me the details of the case or cases. We are talking a little bit in the abstract. I have been in so many flooded properties over the past five years, since I became Minister.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: All I can say is it is a horrific experience for a family. I have gone to flood properties months after they have dried out. There is still the smell and stink and the problems Deputy Dooley spoke about with the septic tanks. Our officials will help people with all of that. For people who are farming, we are obviously talking here about the family home in the context of the farm. Wider...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Thanks to the Labour Party and Fine Gael being in government, we now have 135,000 more people back at work in this country.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: We have the fastest growing economy in Europe and we have the prospect of building on the recovery to provide more funding for education and health, and to address the difficult issues that undoubtedly face a number of different areas of our society. I am happy to say that because of the fact people are going back to work and the economy is recovering, we have been able to give people back...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----on the kind of manifesto and vague promises those in Sinn Féin have put forward. I believe that is a risk many families are simply not prepared to take. Specifically with regard to scoliosis, I discussed this at length with a number of Independent Deputies in recent months. Scoliosis is a very difficult condition that is particularly difficult as children grow and as they...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: The Sinn Féin suggestion is what its Minister for Education said in the North, when he advised young people not to study to be teachers because he could not provide jobs in education.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: What Deputy McDonald is suggesting now goes against a clearly laid out plan in regard to the scoliosis initiative in the paediatric services. In 2015, 100 scoliosis surgeries were carried out, including 67 at Crumlin. A further 33 of those on the Crumlin waiting list were treated in other hospitals. This is a 51% increase on the number of such surgeries carried out in 2014. Some 39...

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Has the Deputy finished her tsunami of hate and invective? Is she sure she is finished or does she want to rant a bit more?

Leaders' Questions (21 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Has she ranted enough? The hate and the invective ill becomes her, if I may say so. We are talking about Crumlin children's hospital. The scoliosis unit in Crumlin children's hospital is recognised worldwide, as is the work done by consultants like Mr. Moore.