Results 12,501-12,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: This would, perhaps, be some version of the suggestion made by Senator Quinn to allocate the money to schools. This would then be spent locally and would give local businesses the opportunity to bid for schemes like the book rental scheme or the provision of school uniforms. There is merit in looking at the proposals that have come forward to ensure the money is spent on the children and in...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: That is what the IMF and the OECD are saying to us; that people from the age of 20 to whenever they retire at the age of 65 or 66 are of working age and they may have particular needs because they are parents or young adults but that, essentially, we should provide a full range of opportunities to them in terms of work, training and employment opportunities but, equally, if they have needs...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: I am giving the Senators the opportunity to think about the circumstances to which I refer, particularly in the case of TalkTalk. This would have been the first time the matter was dealt with in my Department. Despite our trying to set up a task force to help the workers to have their entitlements as soon as possible, we were ultimately paying 60% of the redundancy cost. We need to think...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: -----and the community and voluntary sector.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: There is a lot of merit in examining that. Many years ago, in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I believe, a similar scheme resulted in the development of special needs assistants in schools.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: We need to have a series of pathways. While people want to do something useful and gain work experience, there ought to be the balance we talked about during the JobBridge debate. We must ensure employers do not exploit the system and that people get an opportunity. Under JobBridge there is, in almost all cases, a good balance. I have arranged for the evaluation of JobBridge. The cost of...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: At the same time, there is approximately €74 billion in Irish pension funds. Irish pension funds, by and large, can put a small percentage into hedge funds. The latter take the bets against the euro and individual European economies based on their prediction as to how the bond market is likely to move.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: There is a profound argument that one should ensure we develop a system in which it is possible to invest in Ireland when certainty and calm have returned. All other European countries are considering this approach. In Holland, the amount in pension funds is approximately €800 billion. Therefore, there must be a way of offering investment opportunities. It may be partly through simple...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: We are going to set up a commission on the future of pensions because, after the crash, we will have to reconsider how best to protect people investing in pensions. The issue of tax relief on pensions is not under my remit but under that of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan. He is looking very closely at this. The IMF documents indicate that savings of up to €940 million could be...

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

Joan Burton: I am very conscious of the needs of people on social welfare and fully understand that a wide range of groups depend on the welfare budget for vital support. In the context of a very tough budgetary environment, I will do my utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in Irish society, including retired and older people in receipt of social welfare pensions and the free travel scheme. The...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244, 245, 263 and 265 together. Last July, I published the report of the Gender Recognition Advisory Group which set out detailed recommendations for legislation to give recognition, including birth registration, to the acquired gender of transgender people. Since then my Department has been working on developing draft Heads of a Bill which I intend to bring...

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

Joan Burton: The number of farmers in receipt of Farm Assist from the Department of Social Protection in October 2011 was 11,239. In addition to the personal rate that was paid in all those cases, increases were also paid in respect of 5,180 qualified adults and 10,055 children.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Schemes: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. The purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Persons are engaged for 191⁄2 hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The Labour Court recommended in July 2008 that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for community employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors, and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS. Notwithstanding the positions of the Department in rejecting that liability for these costs falls to be met from public funds, this matter has been the subject of...

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

Joan Burton: There are two main initiatives currently being pursued by the Department to transfer long term rent supplement recipients into housing solutions supported by local authorities. The two initiatives are the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the new Housing Policy Initiative launched in June of this year. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), which was introduced in 2004, gives local authorities...

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

Joan Burton: Issues relating to maternity leave are a matter for my colleague, Alan Shatter T.D., Minister for Justice and Law Reform. The legislative provisions relating to maternity benefit and child benefit are contained in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and Statutory Instrument No. 142/2007 (as amended). Entitlement to maternity benefit is subject to the following provisions: It being...

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

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received a claim for invalidity pension from the person concerned. The department requested medical evidence in support of this application from the person concerned and a medical diagnostic report was submitted....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 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 he was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 3rd November 2011 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: Carers allowance is a means-tested payment for people living in Ireland who are looking after someone who needs support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. It is mainly aimed at carers on low incomes who live with and look after certain people who need full-time care and attention. By its nature the means test takes account of the income a...