Results 34,361-34,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 19.0% in March 2016 (as estimated by CSO, compared to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Carer's Leave Act 2001 allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. An employee is entitled to take carer’s leave of at least 13 weeks up to a maximum of 104 weeks. Carer's leave from employment is unpaid but the Carer’s Leave Act ensures that those who propose to avail of carer's...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: This Department is the main provider of funding for social need in Ireland. In 2016, it is expected that expenditure on income support schemes to support the unemployed, lone parents, people with a disability and older people will be €19.6 billion, despite the requirements for fiscal consolidation measures. The Department is not a direct funder of social programmes delivered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together. Entitlements under the social welfare system are primarily based on a number of defined contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood. There are two basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system. Firstly there is the contributory principle which links the PRSI contributions that a person has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: An application for family income supplement (FIS) was submitted by the person concerned on 29 September 2015. That application was disallowed on the grounds that the net weekly assessable earnings exceeded the prescribed income level for the number of people in the family. Following additional information being provided by the claimant regarding additional eligible children attending...

EU-UK Relations: Statements (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: In recent years, with EU institutions appearing to be led more by the head than by the heart, many people have begun to question the wisdom of the European project. The fundamental importance of union has slipped out of view. There are people in this Chamber whose parents lived through not just one great war but two. When I was growing up, a dictator called Franco was still ruling with an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 December 2015. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The State pension (contributory) is one of the State pension schemes, and its rate of payment is related to contributions made over years into the Social Insurance Fund. As such, those with a stronger attachment to the workforce, who have paid more into that fund, are more likely to be paid under that scheme. There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied in order to qualify for a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The person in question applied for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme for repairs to reading glasses. Her application was refused by the Designated Officer on the grounds that the need in question is not provided for under the scheme. She appealed this decision to the SWA Review Officer. The original decision was upheld and written confirmation issued on 15...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Following a successful appeal, the person concerned was awarded carer’s allowance (CA) for a second care recipient from 14 May 2015. The person concerned was notified on 9 March 2016 of this decision. The first increased payment was made to the person on 3 March 2016. Any arrears of allowance due from 14 May 2015 to 2 March 2016 will issue shortly by cheque to the person in question.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 14 January 2016. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on the 05 May 2016. Any arrears due from 14 January 2016 to 04 May 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 19 April 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together. A jobseeker’s payment is paid for days of unemployment where the person is not in receipt of holiday pay for those days and where they also satisfy the conditions of the scheme. School educational sector workers, who are employed on a temporary basis and who have previously been in contact with the Department, are issued with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Government is committed to the maintenance of the Post Office network and to the development of a Standard Bank Account by An Post. Mindful of the current and ongoing discussions on Government formation any further development of policy will be a matter for the incoming Government. The current position is that the department has a cohort of jobseeker customers who are classified as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 25 January 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is running at 19 weeks. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance on 18 January 2016. The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 4 April 2016 and of his rights of review and appeal within 21 days. No appeal has been received to date. It is open to the person in question to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to 391,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €224 million in 2016. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (21 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 17, inclusive, together. Details on the average length of time involved in investigations into the misclassification of workers as self-employed are not held and depend on the nature and circumstances of each case investigation. However, I can advise the Deputy that the great majority of Scope decisions are made on foot of a request from the employed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (21 Apr 2016)

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 2016. 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: Departmental Schemes (26 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The overall concern of Government in its Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.974 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2016, representing approx. 35.5% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic changes, the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (26 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Free Travel Scheme permits customers to travel for free on most CIE public transport services, LUAS and a range of services offered by up to 80 private operators in various parts of the country. Free travel is also available on cross border journeys to and from Northern Ireland. Additionally, customers aged 66 years and over can travel for free on journeys within Northern Ireland....