Results 10,941-10,960 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Jul 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 Insurance: Social Insurance (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: There are no plans, given the current economic financial climate, to re-introduce earlier benefits. While the treatments available under the Scheme will be kept under periodic review, the consideration of any changes to the Scheme will have to reflect the economic realities of available funding and competing priorities.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16 June 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 — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322, 368 and 380 together. Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that we face. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues and ensure that work is worthwhile. To this end, I recently set up an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare. The first meeting of the Group, which is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 327 together. As the Deputy is aware there are several commitments contained in the Programme for Government in relation to the rent supplement scheme including removing barriers to employment. The most appropriate way for this to happen is for local authorities to take over responsibility for meeting the accommodation needs of these individuals. In...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the social protection system with a view to identifying and eliminating poverty traps including activating people on a reduced week who refuse extra day(s) employment. A fundamental qualifying condition for both the jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance is that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Any such change would require legislation. The proposal for ending the contingency of lone parenthood and introducing a parental allowance to replace the OFP was contained in the Government Discussion Paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents", which was published in 2006. It was envisaged that this allowance would be made to all parents (living alone or with a partner) with young...

Written Answers — Employment and Entitlements Service: Employment and Entitlements Service (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 331 together. The Department is establishing a new National Employment and Entitlements Service, as provided for in the programme for Government, which will integrate employment and benefit payment services within the Department. From 1 January 2011 policy and funding responsibility for FÁS functions in relation to employment and community services...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Since the commitment to which the Deputy refers was made, the Department has made 9 additional appointments to the Social Welfare Appeals Office from within its own resources. These assignments augment the 3 appointments made to the Office in 2010, bringing the total number of Appeals Officers serving in the office to 29. In addition, since July 2010, 8 retired Appeals Officers, equating...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: As part of its agreed programme, the Government is committed to raising the issue of payment of Child Benefit in respect of non-resident children at EU level, and to seek to have the entitlement modified to reflect the cost of living where a child is resident. The provisions relating to the payment of child benefit for non-resident children are not part of Irish domestic legislation but are...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The current programme for Government contains a commitment that: "The household benefits packages will be put out to tender, so that the Exchequer benefits from reduced prices." The Chief State Solicitor's Office has advised that the Department of Social Protection does not have the right to approach the market to procure this energy from a single supplier because the Department is not...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The average waiting time for new family income supplement (FIS) claims at the end of May is 14 weeks. At the end of May, there were approximately 8,011 new FIS applications and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Entitlement to rent supplement is subject to a number of qualifying conditions, one of which is that at the time of application for a rent supplement, the claimant must: have been residing in private rented accommodation (where at the commencement of the tenancy the person could have reasonably afforded the rent and has experienced a substantial change in his or her circumstances where...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy is aware the Government has provided various types of support to people affected by the November 2009 flooding. Humanitarian Aid payments were made, both in the immediate aftermath of the flooding and subsequently to enable eligible households to resume living at their home. Flood relief works were also undertaken in some of the affected areas and other works are at an advanced...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Jul 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 — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: My Department received a Freedom of Information request from the Deputy on the 26 May last. However, the relevant Freedom of Information fee was not received until 15 June 2011. My Department is obliged under the relevant Act to process the request within 20 working days of receipt of the application and the fee. I understand that the department will provide the Deputy with the requested...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Tús is a community work placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. Some €30 million has been provided in the Department's Estimates in 2011 to fund the roll-out of the initiative. This initiative is being delivered through the network of local development companies and Údarás na...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Tús is a community work placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. Some €30 million has been provided in the Department's Estimates in 2011 to fund the roll-out of the initiative. This initiative is being delivered through the network of local development companies and Údarás na...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a disability allowance appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 26 January 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...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (5 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy is aware the Government has provided various types of support to people affected by the November 2009 flooding. Humanitarian Aid payments were made, both in the immediate aftermath of the flooding and subsequently to enable eligible households to resume living at their home. Flood relief works were also undertaken in some of the affected areas and other works are at an advanced...