Results 11,981-12,000 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 99 together. At the end of August 2011 there were 7,901 disability allowance claims pending decision. The statistics requested are shown in the tabular statement. The average number of weeks taken to decide a disability allowance claim for the period January to August 2011 was just over 16 weeks. The Department is committed to delivering the best...

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 1,524 Carers Allowance appeals in progress in the Office. This compares to 594 at the end of 2008, 1,339 at the end of 2009 and 2,145 at the end of 2010. In April of this year the Department appointed 9 additional Appeals Officers who, together with the 3 appointments made to the Office in 2010, brought the total...

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

Joan Burton: The statistics the Deputy requests in relation to State pension (contributory) and State pension (non-contributory) applications are set out in the table.

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

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to certain conditions is not available. Social welfare payments are demand led and if a person meets the eligibility conditions he/she then has an entitlement.

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

Joan Burton: The Programme for Government states that a new National Employment and Entitlements Service will be established under the management of the Department of Social Protection. The objective is to integrate all employment and benefit support services in a single delivery unit which will provide a 'one stop shop' for people wishing to establish their benefit entitlements, seek employment and, or,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 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 certain social welfare payments, mainly unemployment, lone parents and illness and disability payments, to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education...

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

Joan Burton: Spouses who operate in a commercial partnership, and who satisfy certain criteria, may apply to the Department to be brought into the social insurance system, with retrospective effect. Where a commercial partnership is formally recognised, both spouses incur a liability to pay self-employed PRSI contributions and must discharge the liability in full before the contributions can be awarded....

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

Joan Burton: An increase for qualified adult (IQA) is payable to recipients of certain benefits, allowances and pensions in respect of a qualified adult (their spouse, partner or civil partner) who is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where the qualified adult's personal means from any source(s) do not exceed a weekly means limit. A condition of continuing eligibility for IQA is that the...

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

Joan Burton: The community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, formally transferred to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP. The person concerned was refused mortgage interest supplement as it is considered that she has sufficient income to meet her mortgage interest costs.

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned submitted an application for jobseeker's allowance with effect from 30 September 2011. His application is currently being processed and the person concerned will be informed of the outcome in the coming days.

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

Joan Burton: Arrangements are being made to have the case in question investigated. Once the outcome of the investigation is known, appropriate steps will be taken by my Department.

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

Joan Burton: I am aware of the call from the Union of Students of Ireland to reduce the JobBridge qualifying period from three months to four weeks. However, it should be noted one of the policy objectives of the JobBridge scheme is to prioritise scarce resources on those on the Live Register so as to increase their chances of leaving it thereby ensuring a reduction in Exchequer costs over time. It...

Written Answers — Community Services Programme: Community Services Programme (13 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The community services programme co-funds the services delivered by around 440 community based not-for-profit enterprises across the State. Some €47.4 million has been allocated to the programme in 2011. A key requirement of the programme is that the service provider must generate a significant element of their turnover from traded activity or other non-public sources of income. The...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that both appeals by the person concerned were registered in that office on 21 June 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 4th...

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 116, inclusive, together. The community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, transferred formally to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The Dental Benefit scheme is paid from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Due to current economic conditions, the SIF remains under pressure and has required substantial subvention from the Exchequer. As part of a range of cost-saving measures intended to ease this pressure, the range of treatments available under the scheme was reduced in Budget 2010. The free annual examination remains...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (18 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: In general, the maximum participation limit for community employment is one year with the opportunity to extend for a further year if this is considered the most suitable and cost effective measure to assist the client in gaining employment. A person may be eligible for different periods of engagement and extensions on CE due to their age or if they are in receipt of a qualifying...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: The dental benefit scheme is paid from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Due to the current economic conditions, the SIF remains under substantial pressure and as part of a range of cost-saving measures intended to ease this pressure, the range of treatments available under the scheme was reduced in Budget 2010. The free examination remains available to qualifying customers to encourage them...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: There is no claim for a statutory redundancy lump sum payment registered for the person in question in redundancy section. This may be due to the fact that the application was not registered as a result of incompleteness or because financial information from the person's former employer was not presented with the form RP50.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (18 Oct 2011)

Joan Burton: I have been informed by FÁS that the Community Employment National Monitoring Committee, which is made up of representatives of the Social Partners and FÁS staff, meets at regular intervals to ensure that Community Employment projects do not lead to the displacement or replacement of workers/employees. As part of the overall approval process, Community Employment projects obtain approval...