Results 12,481-12,500 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes are a very important element of pension provision in Ireland and we want them to survive for the future. While pension schemes are voluntary and a matter for negotiation between employers and employees, a strong regulatory structure is also needed to protect members. It is in that context that I recently announced changes to the funding standard as...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 12 November 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 — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: A rebate was awarded to the employer of the person detailed in 2005 in respect of employment from May 1999 to May 2003.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 20 October 2011 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: My Department is not involved in the leasing of private rental property. In some instances, the Health Service Executive makes premises available to my Department to facilitate the administration of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme but in general, responsibility for the acquisition of office accommodation for the Department rests with the Office of Public Works. Question No. 137...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 05 October 2011 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: 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. Shared Ownership is a scheme which was aimed at people who could not afford to purchase their home at the initial stage. The applicant acquires a minimum share of 40% of the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 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 in due course to an Appeals...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: In cases where a jobseeker customer takes up temporary work for periods up to 4 weeks, or avails of a training course of up to 8 weeks, arrangements are in place to suspend temporarily the claim so that it can be re-instated without delay when the work or training finishes. My Department operates an online sign-off facility for jobseeker customers who are closing their claim. Further...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together. There are currently 95,904 recipients of rent supplement at an annual cost to the Exchequer of â¬516m in 2010. Based on the current number of recipients, an increase in the minimum contribution of â¬5 per week would result in a scheme saving of approximately â¬25m. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of changing the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a carer's allowance appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 29 July 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...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Person concerned applied for basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance on 27 October 2011. The Designated Officer decided that the she was not entitled to the allowance as she failed to establish that she is habitually resident in the State. She has the right to appeal this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. A form for this purpose has been issued to her.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The figures you request in respect of carer's allowance are as follows: In 2010, 16,629 new carer's allowance claims were processed and 6,972 (or just under 42%) were refused in the year. 10,497 new claims were processed to the end of September 2011, of which 3,921 (or just over 37%) were refused. These figures relate to the initial decision made on each application. I am advised by the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: 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 person concerned was disallowed rent supplement on the 9th of November 2011. The person concerned was requested to provide a housing needs assessment from his local...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: 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 person concerned applied for rent supplement for a 2 bed roomed accommodation. He is a single person with access to his child for 1- 2 nights per week. The person...
- Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for the opportunity to brief them on a range of social welfare matters and to discuss developments-----
- Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I will outline the changes I have made since I was appointed Minister in March and give a flavour of the challenges facing us and how I propose to tackle them. I have looked with fresh eyes at the existing social protection system, schemes and policies. I am targeting aspects of the system for change and development while, at the same time, following through on commitments for my Department...
- Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: A number of other developments in the Department are ongoing. A group is examining child and family supports which hopes to commence an examination of the position of self-employed people when it comes to social protection. As Members probably know, self-employed people are entitled to pay a contribution of only 4% which entitles them to the old age and widow-widower pensions....
- Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I thank all the Senators who made such thoughtful contributions on social protection. In his initial contribution Senator Mooney asked how to make work worthwhile and several other Senators referred to that also. He referred to a statistic of â¬38,000 per year of State benefits for a married couple with two children. The first thing to bear in mind is that these examples which crop up...
- Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I stress that the Department of Social Protection has no expertise in housing. Housing is the function of local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. There is fairly widespread agreement among all the political parties and Independents that we would have a better system if it was dealt with by the local authorities. That is the objective. One...