Results 11,941-11,960 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Back to Education Allowance (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The short answer is that it is a fundamental rule that educational progression is upwards. As the Deputy probably knows, many people availing of the BTEA are returning to second level education because they did not complete it. If somebody has already completed a high level of education such as a masters degree it is difficult to deprive someone in second level who is completing his or her...

Back to Education Allowance (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The points being made are reasonable and understandable. The qualifying period for the second level option is three months. Those who become unemployed in February face a problem but it takes people a while to identify the courses they want to do. It is a principle of the scheme that there should be upward progression, although I recognise that where someone wants to change career, there...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 16 together. In 2010, total overpayments amounted to €83.4 million representing 0.41% of total Departmental expenditure. Overpayments arising from suspected fraudulent activity amounted to less than 0.1% of total Departmental expenditure in 2010. It is important to emphasise, therefore, that the vast majority of people are receiving the entitlement...

Written Answers — Public Services Card: Public Services Card (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Services Card (PSC) under the Standard Authentication Framework Environment (SAFE) programme. The aim is to develop a card that acts as a key for access to public services in general. Significant achievements over the last couple of years include: - procurement of a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The year on year increase in social welfare appeals, requested by the Deputy are as set out in the table. Overall, appeals increased from 14,070 in 2007 to 32,432 in 2010. However, at 30 September 2011 the number of appeals received since the beginning of the year is 2,172 less than the numbers received in the same period in 2010. In April of this year the Department appointed 9 additional...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 101 together. I would like to assure the Deputy that the staffing needs of my Department are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources. The Department will continue to source available staff to fill critical vacancies by way of redeployment, or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 4,077 jobseekers assistance appeals and 88 family income supplement appeals outstanding. 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 2007, when the intake was 14,070, to 32,432 in 2010. In...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: Carer's benefit is a payment for people who have made social insurance contributions and are planning to leave or have recently left the workforce to care for somebody who needs full-time care and attention. It is paid for two years for each person cared for and can be claimed in a single continuous period or in separate periods adding up to a total of two years. The scheme operates in...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The elimination of poverty is a key objective of Government and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 (NAPSincl) includes a target to reduce the number of people experiencing consistent poverty to between 2 and 4 per cent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016. Consistent poverty is the Government's official measure of poverty. People are in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) can be made to help meet essential, once-off 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. Examples of the main types of needs that are met under this provision are: § ...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: An intern participating in JobBridge will continue to receive the social welfare entitlements, including secondary entitlements such as fuel allowance, that they are entitled to immediately prior to commencing the scheme. However, during their JobBridge internship, interns will not receive additional benefits, such as fuel allowance, if they were previously not entitled to this benefit...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: In order to be eligible to participate in JobBridge the National Internship Scheme, an individual must: currently be in receipt of a live claim (Jobseeker's Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/Signing for Social Insurance Contribution Credits) on the Live Register; have been in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance or signing for Social Insurance Contribution Credits for a total of 78...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: Social welfare legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not entitled to a jobseeker's payment. Part-time fire-fighters are entitled to a jobseeker's payment in respect of days that they are...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge scheme contains a number of measures to minimise displacement including the following: all Host Organisations must declare in their application that they are not displacing an employee and that they have no vacancy in the specific area; the JobBridge team check all applications against recent vacancies advertised on the FAS Jobs Ireland website; and if the JobBridge team...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The 2012 provision for all schemes and services operated by my Department, including the back to work and back to education schemes, will be considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget. The Budget will be framed in a manner that has regard to the necessity to ensure public finances are sustainable. This is a prerequisite to maintaining an adequate system of social protection as well...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 32 together. I am aware of the research of the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice on minimum essential budgets for selected household types. I met representatives of the partnership when they made a submission on its work at my Department's pre-budget forum on 16th September. In addition, my Department and the partnership jointly participated...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 30 and 31 together. 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 people claiming rent supplement. In this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The focus of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are most marginalised and distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The BTEA scheme can offer participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people in receipt of certain social welfare...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The administration of the Civil Registration Service is statutorily a matter for the Registrar General. I have made inquiries with the Registrar General and he has informed me that the general review of the provisions of the Civil Registration Act 2004 is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The intention is to bring forward legislative proposals in 2012 based on this review....

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I am aware of the proposals made by Social Justice Ireland and the key features that would underpin the operation of such an initiative. I have some concerns about this proposal relating to the displacement effects and other distortions that might be caused to an already difficult labour market, including the longer term sustainability of the sector and volunteering. In addition, based on...