Results 12,601-12,620 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department 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 of SWA to address a...
- Written Answers — Public Services Card: Public Services Card (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The phased introduction of the Public Services Card started last month. The registration process is currently being piloted in a number of local offices in the Department, including Tullamore, Sligo and Kings Inn in Dublin. Roll out of the card will be done as securely and speedily as possible but it will take a number of years to complete. The initial focus will be on roll out to...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 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 to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. An...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Estimate for my Department in 2011 provides for expenditure of over â¬1.1 billion on the one parent family payment. For the purposes of one parent family payment, there is no entitlement where earnings exceed a threshold of â¬425 gross per week. Where earnings are less than â¬425, the first â¬146.50 is disregarded and half of the balance is assessed as means. The rate of payment is...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: Since January 2009 payment of illness benefit is limited to a maximum of 104 weeks (624 pay days) in most cases. There are a number of possible social welfare payments for which a customer may qualify thereafter, depending on their circumstances. Currently, letters are sent to illness benefit customers 13 weeks before their claim is due to expire. The customer is advised about other possible...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: In cases where a jobseeker customer takes up temporary work for periods of up to 4 weeks, or avails of a training course of up to 8 weeks, arrangements are in place to temporarily suspend the claim so that it can be re-instated without delay when the work or training finishes. When a customer receives an offer of employment which is expected to last no more than four weeks, they should tell...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers and works to ensure that claims are processed in the most efficient way possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply to each scheme and to ensure, insofar as is possible, that funding is targeted at those most in need. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing...
- Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 33, 36, 42 and 43 together. JobBridge, the national internship scheme, came into operation on 1st July. JobBridge provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals on the Live Register, in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. The first internships commenced in mid-July and, as of Friday...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: My Department has not undertaken any procurement for fingerprint scanning equipment. Some electronic devices that are in use (e.g. laptops) may have such facilities but their use is not mandatory.
- Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 24 together. Clearly it is not my view that "the act of going on maternity is an indication of an inadequate and unsustained commitment to the social insurance system". The contributory principle, however, does rely on adequate real contributions being made to fund the system. As outlined in previous replies there is a link between contributions paid...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 28 together. I am very conscious of the needs of people on social welfare and fully appreciate that a wide range of groups depend solely on their welfare payments. As we approach a very tough Budget in December, I will be doing my utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in our society, including carers. Sustainable public finances are a...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I understand that by 'agency' the Deputy is referring to temporary staff. Recruitment of temporary clerical officers is carried out, on behalf of my Department, by the Public Appointments Service. Temporary clerical staff are recruited on a contract basis to cover absences of permanent staff on maternity leave, long term sick leave, carers leave and also to provide cover for some staff...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Office of Public Works has responsibility for the acquisition and maintenance of office accommodation for the Department of Social Protection. Accordingly, my Department has requested that the Office acquire suitable accommodation in Balbriggan. Until accommodation is available in Balbriggan, supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) payments for parts of the Balbriggan area of North...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The community welfare service and staff formally transferred to the Department of Social Protection on schedule on the 1st of October this year. Their transfer to the Department is a first and vital step in the full integration of the services provided by the CWS and the Department. Prior to their arrival and particularly in the nine month period of their secondment from January 1st this...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The economic crisis has had a major impact on disposable household incomes and on private consumption which has in turn impacted on the level of retail sales in Ireland. The "Motor Trades" category accounts for a significant proportion of the fall in the volume of retail sales. Any changes to the schemes and services operated by my Department, including changes to rates of payments, will be...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I have no plans to amend the guidelines to allow the time spent on jobbridge to count towards the accrual of time for eligibility for the fuel allowance. My Department will spend over â¬530 million in 2011 on the fuel scheme and the telephone, gas and electricity elements of the household benefits package which will benefit some 390,000 people on household benefits and 375,000 on the fuel...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The Department's Medical Assessors are fully qualified and experienced practitioners who provide a second opinion to that of the person's own doctor for the guidance of deciding officers. Their assessments conform to the ethical conduct and behavioural guidelines of the Medical Council. Medical Assessors are required to be medical practitioners who are on the general register of medical...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: I do appreciate the important role that free travel plays in promoting social inclusion and preventing the isolation of elderly people, carers and the disabled. There are currently 721,000 people in receipt of free travel, not including spouses or companions. It will cost â¬77 million this year. The 'National Recovery Plan 2011 â 2014' provided that funding for the free travel scheme...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: The number of recipients of social welfare payments is dependent on a number of variables including the range of income support schemes available and the eligibility requirements for such schemes. The estimated number of recipients on social welfare for payments next year is currently being finalised in the context of the forthcoming Budget. I will make the year on year increase/decrease...
- Written Answers — Civil Registration: Civil Registration (23 Nov 2011)
Joan Burton: Marriages of convenience, or "sham marriages" are defined as marriages which are entered into for the purpose of one of the parties gaining an automatic right of residency based on marriage to a person who already has a right of residency. These marriages exploit Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council which deals with the right of citizens of the Union and their...