Results 10,901-10,920 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The information requested is currently being compiled within the Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank Senators for their contributions. On Senator Mooney's comments in respect of the reductions being passed on to customers, I have heard some of the debate and will be extremely disappointed if, for instance, in the tourism, hotel, hospitality, bar and restaurant sector, the reductions are not passed on to consumers. On the objective of reducing VAT, VAT is a tax charged on the final...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: As I stated, I will be happy to return to the Seanad to advise on this measure's progress. Obviously however, the package's progress will be reflected in general levels of economic activity. For instance, Ireland has a very high level of savings at present. People are paying down debt, are worried about their levels of indebtedness and are saving because they may be nervous about the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Can the Senator give me the line reference in the Bill?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: It refers to weekly social insurance contributions. In regard to the recording of weekly social insurance contributions, as a result of the abolition of the employee PRSI relief on employee pension contributions, it is no longer considered necessary. In the budget last December the Government made changes in the Finance Act to the deductibility of employee PRSI contributions for relief on...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The relief for employee PRSI contributions against pension contributions is no longer in place. In other words, the last Government at the time of the last budget removed some of the deductibility of PRSI for pension relief purposes.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: While I accept the Senator's concerns, under the current arrangements that apply before the lower rate of employer PRSI is applied, a wage reduction in the example the Senator gave - from €390 to €356 per week - results in a saving in wage reductions of €34 a week to the employer. The lower rate of employers' PRSI that applies at that level from budgets by the previous Government,...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: As Senator Bradford reminded the House, the Bill provides for the restoration of the €1 per hour cut in the minimum wage. While €1 per hour is neither here nor there for people on high incomes, its restoration is worth up to €40 per week for someone at or close to the minimum wage. If one is only earning €350 per week, this is a significant increase. I stress that the Bill contains...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Senator Fidelma Healy Eames tabled a similar amendment in regard to the report. I am not willing to accept this amendment. I am anxious that the President sign the Bill into law tomorrow or on Thursday and that it come into effect on 1 or 2 July. It is important this should happen. As I stated, I will be closely monitoring the outcome of the changes introduced in the Bill. In respect of...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: A large number of issues were raised. The discussion has been ongoing since 2007 about the way in which demographics have been changing in Ireland. To our great success and credit, probably due to people like Professor Crown, more people are enjoying an extended old age. It is anticipated that life expectancy will rise significantly in future and whereas currently there are between five...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The HSE has advised that arrears of supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme for the period October 2009 to February 2011 will issue to the person concerned shortly.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011 has passed all stages in the Dáil and Seanad. In relation to the National Internship Scheme, the Bill provides that participants on the scheme will not be employees of host organisations for any enactment or rule of law with the exception of the Tax Acts and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The National Internship Scheme itself will...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 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 24 May 2011. 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 Welfare Appeals Office on 1 June 2011...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: A range of training courses are provided for those who wish to work as paid carers with awards granted by FETAC. The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) was set up as a statutory body on 11 June 2001 by the Minister for Education and Science. Carer's allowance is a means tested income support payment for people who are providing full time care and attention to a person in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department has abroad-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 Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker's benefit is payable for a maximum period of 312 days or 234 days depending on a person's social insurance record. Workers at the plant in question are currently in receipt of jobseeker's benefit due to reduced working week or temporary lay-offs. A person in receipt of jobseeker's benefit can re-qualify for jobseeker's benefit when their claim exhausts if they satisfy the normal...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that there is no record of an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to make an application for mortgage interest supplement he should contact the community welfare officer at his local health centre.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the jobseeker's allowance appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. A supplementary welfare allowance appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 08 June 2011 and will, in due course, be referred to an Appeals Officer who will decide whether...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 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 Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: People in full-time education are normally excluded from receipt of rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, people participating in approved courses under the back-to-education allowance scheme receive a standard weekly rate of payment equivalent to the maximum rate of their previous social welfare payment and may retain any secondary benefits, such as rent...