Results 10,721-10,740 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The community welfare service in the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that they have not received a formal application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the evidence, has allowed the Jobseeker's Allowance appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been...

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

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that it was contacted by the person concerned seeking assistance with repair work on his house in May 2011. The HSE advised that no formal application for a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was received. The person concerned was advised to contact Kilkenny County Council directly as he is a tenant in a shared ownership scheme.

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

Joan Burton: In 2010 there were 191,144 jobseeker's allowance claims awarded. 5,506 cases were appealed and of these 534 were either awarded or partially awarded by appeals officers. To date in 2011 there were 69,235 jobseeker's allowance claims awarded, 1,789 appeals and 453 awarded or partially awarded by appeals officers. These data show that over 99% of awards are made without referral to the...

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

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Table: New claims average processing times in weeks: 2007 to (end-April) 2011. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 State Pension (Contributory) 11 11 8 8 5 State Pension (Non-Contributory) 8 9 8 8 9 The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. All scheme areas are subject to...

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

Joan Burton: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. All applicants - regardless of nationality - for the following payments are required to be habitually resident in the State: · Jobseeker's Allowance · State Pension (Non-Contributory for persons aged over 66)...

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

Joan Burton: Every effort is made to decide on the entitlement of any individual person as close to their eligibility date as possible. However, there are cases where delays will be experienced, this can occur because of a delay within the Department in processing the claims or a delay on behalf of the customer in submitting information. Processing times vary across schemes because of both the volume of...

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

Joan Burton: The Department has a broad-ranging and comprehensive control strategy. The emphasis is to minimise risks of fraud and eliminate incorrect payments. Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. The Department has in the last number of years been engaged in data matching with other Government...

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

Joan Burton: As the Deputy is aware there is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the operation of the rent supplement scheme with a view to introducing a code of conduct for rent supplement eligibility similar to that which operates for local authority tenants. The purpose of this review is to ensure that tenants who are receiving long term support from the State under the rent...

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

Joan Burton: The Department has a broad-ranging and comprehensive control strategy. The emphasis is to minimise risks of fraud and eliminate incorrect payments. Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. Control activity is focused on prevention of fraud and error from the very first point of contact...

Written Answers — Training and Education Programmes: Training and Education Programmes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection funds the provision of work experience and work placements under a number of different programmes and through a number of different agencies. The work placement programme has provision for 7,000 work experience places and is delivered by FÁS. Community employment provides 22,300 places, the majority of which are considered to be work experience and is...

Written Answers — Training and Education Programmes: Training and Education Programmes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Programme for Government promised that an additional 15,000 places would be provided in training, education and work experience opportunities within the Government's first 100 days of taking office. In last month's Jobs Initiative the Government delivered an additional 20,900 training, education and work experience places. The Department is responsible for 5,000 of these additional...

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

Joan Burton: This Government is committed to tackling Ireland's economic crisis in a way that is fair, balanced, and which recognises the need for social solidarity. The appropriate level of overall expenditure by my Department will be considered in the context of Budget 2012 and subsequent Budgets. This consideration will be informed by the commitment in the Programme for Government to maintain social...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I am sympathetic to this amendment which makes a great deal of sense. This proposal has been suggested and debated at various committees before. Social welfare legislation is not as such the place to introduce such legislative measures as it is primarily a matter for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. There is the wider issue of examining outcomes from social...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 12: In page 25, line 13, to delete "1 July 2011" and substitute "2 July 2011".

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Section 23 must be read in conjunction with section 22, which involves the restoration of the national minimum wage to its previous level. The reinstatement of the national minimum wage will be very important for low-paid employees who work a 40-hour week because they will benefit by €40 per week. The latter is a significant sum. The counterpart measure to this reinstatement is to offer...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Ba mhaith liomsa go mbeadh an meabhrán mínitheach le fáil i nGaeilge ag an am gcéanna agus an leagan Béarla, ach ní dhéantar sin anois. Deputy Ó Snodaigh has mentioned how good and hard-working the people doing the translation are. They have undertaken to have it available as soon as possible. However, I understand it has been the custom to complete the translation once the Bill...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Aontaím leis an Teachta gur áis don phobal ar fad aistriúchán a bheith a fáil nuair atá an díospóireacht ar siúl. I wish to make two points about the debate on the date of implementation of the measures. The Government decided to introduce the €1 an hour increase in the minimum wage on 1 July, the same date as the changes in employers' PRSI, the lowering of the VAT rate and the...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: -----simply awaiting the Irish language translation. We should address the issue of Irish language translation and improve services for citizens who wish to use Irish. I will undertake to talk to my colleagues in Government to determine what can be done but I suggest we need to move forward on 1 July with the reinstatement of the minimum wage and the other measures provided for in this Bill...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (16 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The changes to the Pensions Act mainly arise from the requirements to implement Article 17 of Directive 2003/41/EC on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision, or the IORPS directive. The Pensions Act is also amended to clarify the responsibility of the Pensions Board in respect of the certification of certain policies or contracts of assurance...