Results 11,581-11,600 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Payments: Social Welfare Payments (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Fuel allowance is payable for 32 weeks and is currently benefitting over 380,000 people at an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that the notification of redundancy in respect of the individual concerned was received in the redundancy payments section on 19 July 2011 and is awaiting processing.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Sep 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 August 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. In general there is no limit or restriction on the proportion or...

Written Answers — Jobs Initiative: Jobs Initiative (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: Participation on JobBridge should not affect an individual's secondary benefits provided that their underlying circumstances have not changed. I would ask the Deputy to provide me with further details of the particular case he is referring to so that my Department can investigate the issue.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. A person wishing to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) advised that it has received a claim for rent supplement from the person concerned. The HSE requested further information from the person concerned to process her application. The HSE will make a decision on her application when the requested information has been provided.

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: According to the records of the Department, the following table gives the numbers of persons registered as unemployed at Coolock and Kilbarrack local offices from 2007 to date in 2011. The figures are from end December in each year from 2007 to 2010 and up to 26 August 2011. Year Coolock Kilbarrack 2007 2288 2148 2008 3584 3533 2009 5150 5237 2010 5015 5360 2011 5299 5685

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: An application for carer's allowance from the person in question was initially refused on the grounds that the Department's medical assessor expressed the opinion that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. In addition, it was decided that the person in question does not satisfy the full time care requirement. Following...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: An application for jobseekers allowance from the person concerned was disallowed because his means were in excess of the scheduled limit on the basis of his wife's earnings. He may apply for mortgage interest supplement (which is means tested) to the community welfare officer at his local health centre in Kilmeague, Co. Kildare.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: A bereavement grant is a payment designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It is a once-off payment, based on PRSI contributions, made from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Means tested exceptional needs payments may be available under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to those in need who have not made the required number of contributions to the SIF....

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: Since my appointment on 9 March 2011, I have appointed the following advisers – Edward Brophy, Special Adviser, was appointed with effect from 29 July 2011, on a salary of €127,796. Kathleen Barrington, Special Adviser (Press), was appointed with effect from 18 July 2011, on a salary scale of €80,051 - €98,424. There is no Minister of State attaching to my Department.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: Public sector pension rules, including in relation to retirement age, are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department is responsible for State pensions and I will outline the position in this regard. State pension (transition) (SPT) is currently paid to people aged 65 who have a minimum yearly average of 24 social insurance contributions and who...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (27 Sep 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 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 provided for the transfer of responsibility for MABS to the Citizens Information Board (CIB), under the aegis of my Department, in July 2009 in order to provide strong management support to the local...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Return to Education Programme is a joint initiative between FÁS and Vocational Education Committees (VEC) for participants on community employment (CE) to support their basic literacy skills. Participants are released from their CE work for nine hours per week over the thirty week duration of the initiative. The initiative aims to provide help for participants to achieve significant...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: It is estimated that the 2011 reduction in income to the Social Insurance Fund as a result of the halving of the lower rate of employers' PRSI from 8.5% to 4.25% for those earning €356 or less, will be in the region of €85m in 2011. This is based on implementation of the measure from the beginning of July 2011. The 2012 reduction in income to the Fund is estimated to be €190m. It is...

Written Answers — Community Services Programme: Community Services Programme (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teoranta (MFG) is an independent company with its own board of management which has responsibility under company law for the proper stewardship of the company. My Department has no role in the internal operations of this company and, therefore, does not have a role in relation to staff matters, or determining its approach to resolving its current...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 299 together. Statistics are not available on the number of individuals who applied for a mortgage interest supplement payment on 1 March 2011 and on 1 September 2011. The tabular statement shows the number of mortgage interest supplement claims registered and awarded in the week ending 4 March 2011 and week ending 2 September 2011 by HSE area. 4...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: If the deputy or the person on whose behalf the deputy is enquiring will provide my department with details and evidence of their allegation of wrongful receipt of carer's allowance along with sufficient information to identify the parties allegedly involved, I will have the original claim re-investigated. Comprehensive administrative procedures are in place in my department to assess and...