Results 11,661-11,680 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: I confirm that that an application for carer's allowance was received from the above named person on 9 August 2011. On completion of the necessary investigations relating to all aspects of her claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The average time to award a claim for carer's allowance is currently 17 weeks. Entitlement to carer's...

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

Joan Burton: The information requested is not readily available and given the pressure of work in my Department and the volume of staff involved, it would not be possible to give the information requested for each individual member of staff. The following table provides a breakdown of the number of staff in each grade from Higher Executive Officer to Secretary General. The pay scale appropriate to each...

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

Joan Burton: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE) may make a single payment to meet an exceptional need to people on social welfare or HSE payments. These payments are known as Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and may be made towards communion and confirmation costs and other religious ceremonies. These specific...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 295 to 297, inclusive, together. I will arrange to have the information requested compiled and made available to the Deputy shortly.

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

Joan Burton: In order to satisfy the medical conditions for receipt of disability allowance a person must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect which has continued or may reasonably be expected to continue for a period of at least a year and as a result of the condition the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work which would...

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

Joan Burton: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the number of appeals waiting to be processed at present is 17,992 (a reduction of some 2,809 (since September 2010), of which 3,128 refer to disability allowance. These figures must be seen against a background where there has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since...

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

Joan Burton: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme operates from the beginning of June until the end of September each year. Those customers who did not receive an automated payment are required to complete and return an application form to the Department. In all cases a letter will issue to applicants informing them of the decision and, where payment has been awarded, when...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (27 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 28 March 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 19...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: 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 state of preparation....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Sep 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 August is 18 weeks. The waiting time for renewal FIS claims is currently between 4-5 weeks. The volume...

Written Answers — Departmental Strategy Statements: Departmental Strategy Statements (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: On September 8th 2011 a draft Statement of Strategy was submitted to me as required under the 1997 Public Service Management Act. The Statement of Strategy is currently being finalised and will be published in accordance with the provisions of that Act.

Written Answers — Civil Registration Act: Civil Registration Act (27 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: A general review of the provisions of the Civil Registration Act, 2004 is on-going and is expected to be completed later this year. Usually, when an Irish citizen dies abroad, the death is registered by the civil authorities of the place where the death occurred, and a certified copy of the death registration is obtainable. This certificate, translated if necessary, is normally sufficient...

Employment and National Internship Scheme: Motion (Resumed) (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: With the agreement of the House I will share time with Deputies Joe O'Reilly, Colm Keaveney, Patrick O'Donovan, Mary Mitchell O'Connor and John Paul Phelan. I am delighted to have the opportunity to talk about the national internship scheme. We are now at the third anniversary of the disastrous bank guarantee. It is a pity some of the parties who voted for the guarantee were not astute in...

Employment and National Internship Scheme: Motion (Resumed) (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The national internship scheme was launched 12 weeks ago, on 1 July. To date, it has had applications from more than 4,000 employers, of whom approximately 2,600 have been accepted as appropriate internship hosts. I know that many people are concerned that the scheme should achieve its core aims and objectives, which are to provide a quality internship and a learning and work experience...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: JobBridge, the National Internship scheme is available to all eligible host organisations in the private, public and community & voluntary sectors. It should be noted that the purpose of JobBridge is to assist unemployed individuals to gain valuable work experience opportunities to assist them improve their skills while also enhancing their prospects of securing future employment. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) may make a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Those who qualify are normally in receipt of a social welfare or HSE payment. The principal consideration in making a single payment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised the person concerned met with the Community Welfare Officer recently. The HSE advised the person concerned that in order to process an application for rent supplement she must provide information on her means for the months where she had no social welfare payment, she must make an application for a social welfare payment and provide proof of her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Sep 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 — Jobs Initiative: Jobs Initiative (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection supports operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. Supports available include the back to education programmes and back to work schemes. In addition, a fully integrated nationwide range of services and supports is available to...

Written Answers — Community Services Programme: Community Services Programme (28 Sep 2011)

Joan Burton: The Community Services Programme (CSP) is designed to address locally identified gaps in the provision of services and to exploit the potential of community assets and resources to improve community well-being. CSP support is designed in such a manner that service providers are required to offer employment opportunities to people from specific target groups. The target group includes people...