Results 10,681-10,700 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary allowance scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the HSE based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13 April 2011. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the Tús scheme is to focus on those people who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is at present confined to those on the Live Register for 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those currently affected by long-term unemployment. People already in employment are not eligible for these...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Government supports and encourages people to make provision for an adequate income in retirement. It does this through the provision of a State pension (contributory) which is currently 33% approx. of the gross average industrial earnings and through generous tax relief on supplementary pension savings. It is important that an individual's pension savings is invested wisely and that...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the persons concerned were initially awarded mortgage interest supplement in May 2009. The HSE further advised that a review form issued to the persons concerned in September 2009 but when the form was not returned to the HSE their claim to mortgage interest supplement was suspended and subsequently closed. The HSE further advised that a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the persons concerned were refused mortgage interest supplement as they have sufficient income to meet their mortgage interest costs.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on 16 March 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for domiciliary care allowance. A letter issued to the person concerned on 30 May 2011 advising her of the decision to refuse domiciliary care allowance. Where a person is not satisfied...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 332 together. Since May 2008, some 825 posts have been assigned to the Department of Social Protection to fill critical staff vacancies and additional posts approved to deal with the significant increase in claims for the schemes operated by the Department. The majority of these posts have been sourced through the lateral transfer and redeployment of...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: On 1 January 2011, the Department assumed responsibility for making redundancy payments from the Social Insurance Fund. There are two types of redundancy payment made from the fund i.e. rebates to those employers who have paid statutory redundancy to eligible employees and statutory lump sums to employees whose employers are insolvent and/or in receivership/liquidation. I am pleased to advise...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services in all counties, Luas and a range of services offered by over 90 private operators in various parts of the country. There are 15 private operators based in county Donegal participating in the scheme. Free travel is also available on cross border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: As Minister for Social Protection I do not have a role in the administration of individual cases in regard to the operation of the Community Employment (CE) programme. The administration of individual cases under CE is a day-to-day matter for FÁS as part of its responsibility under the Labour Services Act, 1987, as amended by Part 3 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010....

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The role of money advisors is to help clients to assess their financial situation, make a budget plan and deal with creditors. There are 52 independent MABS companies operating the local MABS services from 65 locations throughout the country with...

Written Answers — Registration of Births: Registration of Births (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Any suspected illegality in relation to the registration of births should be reported to An Garda Síochána, as there is a number of offences provided for under Section 69 of the Civil Registration Act 2004. In particular, I would draw the Deputy's attention to section 69(3) which provides that a person who gives to a registrar particulars or information which he or she knows to be false or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people would normally be...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Further to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 157 and 158 of 31st May, industry sources have estimated that the total value of assets held by Irish Pension Funds is approximately €75 billion. It is further estimated that approximately €11 billion of these assets are invested in Irish holdings.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 when the intake was 14,070 to 2010 when the intake rose to 32,432. This has significantly...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The FÁS Traveller Strategy aims to improve its labour market provision for travellers. Fundamental to the achievement of the recommendations of the Strategy is that networks be maintained or enhanced with representatives of travellers and FÁS to create links and manage expectations between cultures. Under the Strategy FÁS Employment Services and the Local Employment Services (LES) are...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) operates under the aegis of the Department and is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy on social services and for the Money, Advice and Budgeting Service. The board of the Citizens Information Board is also responsible for furnishing advice, information and assistance to me in relation to the development of any...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that an application for an exceptional needs payment made on 26 May 2011 was refused as the need was not established. The HSE further advised that the person concerned did receive an exceptional needs payment in April 2011 in respect of household bills.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that two appeals by the person concerned were registered in that office on 5 February 2011 and 10 March 2011 respectively. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social...