Results 11,161-11,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned has been requested to complete and submit an application form for mortgage interest supplement. A decision will be made on his application when the form has been submitted.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The average time taken to award a claim for carer's allowance in the first half of 2011 was 13 weeks. A total of 8,171 applications were registered in the first half of 2011, and 6,702 were processed in the same period. There are currently 5,294 applications awaiting a decision. There are 51,134 carer's allowance claims in payment. A major service delivery modernisation project is currently...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: An application for carer's allowance from the person concerned was received on 9 February 2011. The person in question has recently been requested to forward further details necessary to complete a means test to establish her entitlement to carer's allowance. On receipt of that further information and completion of the necessary investigations a decision will be made and she will be notified...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeals officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Government is committed to tackling Ireland's economic crisis in a way that is fair, balanced and that 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 Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: My Department, in common with every other Department, is engaged in the comprehensive review of expenditure. Budgetary decisions will be made in the context of that review and in the context of the budget for 2012. As I have stated to the Deputy previously and as he will appreciate, I am not in a position to make statements or announcements on budget 2012 or in respect of the comprehensive...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: My Department will spend over €530 million in 2011 on the fuel scheme and the telephone, gas and electricity elements of the household benefits package which will benefit over 630,000 people. Difficult decisions have had to be made in the light of commitments made by the previous Government. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to reconsider the changes to the fuel allowance and...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: In reply to the Deputy's first point and his justified concern about the rise in energy prices my Department supplies a number of units, in this case, 1,800. If the energy price changes and is increased, the Department will cover this increase. I reassure those in receipt of energy units under the household scheme that any rise in the cost of the units is covered by my Department. If there...

Pension Provisions (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The presumption underpinning this question appears to be that, by enabling people within five years of retirement to reduce their employment and, presumably, have their income supplemented by the State, unemployed people will benefit from such an arrangement. Apart from the budgetary implications attaching to such an arrangement, there is no guarantee that job creation would result from such...

Pension Provisions (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for the question. He indicated he had submitted a proposal to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton. I would also be very happy to receive the submission. There is an issue of balancing. Many older people wish and need to work longer to build up their pension entitlements for when they are retired, particularly women who might have been out of...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am satisfied that there are sufficient supports in place to help people with their electricity, fuel and other utility bills. Energy poverty is a factor of income, energy prices and the thermal efficiency of the home. The most cost-effective means of protecting households from energy poverty is to improve the thermal efficiency of the home. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: In the 2011 budget, the previous Government included indicative headings of savings that it did not announce or, in some cases, specify. I have advised the Deputy of this fact previously. The Department is a major purchaser of utility services. Upon becoming Minister, I was surprised to learn that the Department did not get much in the way of discounts. The change to the telephone...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am seeking it.

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will understand that I will not speak for the previous Minister or his opinions.

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: For example, he had conversations with the late Minister for Finance regarding the family income supplement. However, nothing occurred as a consequence. I do not know what the previous Minister did-----

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: -----but I was astonished upon arriving in the Department that, despite being a large bulk purchaser of utilities, we did not get discounts. I must seek legal advice to determine how to get better value through discounts for those who rely on the package of household benefits.

Employment Support Services (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The objective of JobBridge, the national internship scheme, is to assist individuals to bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. It will provide those seeking employment with an opportunity to undertake a six or nine-month internship in a host organisation. Participants will benefit from learning new skills to complement their existing skills. Participation on the scheme...

Employment Support Services (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Employment Support Services (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Wallace and other Deputies who are following the website and closely monitoring the positions on offer. Their efforts are important and I have a number of volunteers, departmental staff and people in the labour services side of FÁS doing likewise. Some 1,100 opportunities are available on the JobBridge website. Given their range, the Deputy will agree that many of them are...

Employment Support Services (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department monitors the website, as do the people in FÁS. This is an important job. Internationally, internships have a good history of filling in the gap for someone who has qualified at a certain level but in a recession cannot get a job because he does not have experience and cannot get experience because he cannot enter a job. We want to stop that catch-22 situation. There is...