Results 12,661-12,680 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: Processing times vary across schemes because of the volume of applications and the differing qualification criteria. For example, means assessments are required for all social assistance schemes, medical examinations are required for some of the illness related schemes and customers must also satisfy the habitual residence conditions. In the case of insurance based schemes, it may be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The figures, requested by the Deputy, in regard to the total number of appeals in respect of all forms of social welfare currently on hand and the percentage this represents of all applications under each heading is attached to this reply in tabular form. It should be noted that the figures in relation to the appeals outstanding as a percentage of the applications are not directly related in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: My Department operates a range of means tested schemes and these schemes, including the means testing elements, are administered through a network of local and central offices. In the case of means tested social assistance schemes, the vast majority of claimants are means tested only once. In a small number of cases, a second means test may be required if they apply for basic supplementary...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The statistics requested are set out in the tabular statements. The statistics in relation to disability allowance and invalidity pension relate to the initial decision on a claim and do not reflect where a claim may be subsequently allowed either on review by a deciding officer following submission of new facts or evidence or as a result of an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. ...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made an application for rent supplement on the 8th of September but her rent was in excess of the maximum rent limit appropriate to her family composition. The person concerned has been requested to reduce her rent to the limit permitted. The person concerned has also failed to provide the Department with a housing needs assessment from her local County Council. A...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The two statutory bodies operating under the aegis of this Department which have Chief Executive Officers are the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. Of these, the only retirement which occurred within the last four years was the CEO of the Citizens Information Board. The Citizens Information Board has advised me that their former CEO received a lump sum pension payment of...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: FÁS promote vacancies within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). This is as a result of Ireland's being part of a single European Labour Market. Any costs involved in the promotion of these vacancies are paid by way of grant from the European Commission. With regard to non EU/EEA jobs and specifically in relation to the Canadian Job Fair held in Dublin on 12th and...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 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 Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The question of introducing a scheme of statutory sick pay is one of a range of options being examined with a view to meeting the commitments which this country has entered into with the EU/IMF/ECB to achieve substantial reductions in current spending. I should say, however, that statutory sick pay schemes are the norm amongst most EU member states. The extent to which employers are liable...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: Workers are liable to pay PRSI on their earnings from employment. If an employee has income from self-employment this income is also liable to PRSI as is any other unearned income such as rental income or dividends. However, if an employee has unearned income only, there is no PRSI charge on the unearned income. It is not possible in the time available for reply to do detailed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of her full entitlement to rent supplement based on her household circumstances. The first €95.23 of a maintenance payment is assessed in full where a one-parent family payment has been awarded.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: Social Welfare offices provide a number of services such as provision of information; acceptance, authorisation and maintenance of claims for Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance and One-parent Family Payment; acceptance of PPS Number applications, etc. Every effort is made by staff in these offices to provide for confidentiality and privacy of persons who present for any of these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (24 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 Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (24 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 13 April 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 10...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The average time to award a carer's allowance claim is approximately 14 weeks and there are currently just under 8,000 new applications awaiting decision. The processing of new applications is a priority. All options to assist in the reduction of backlogs are under constant review by the scheme management and senior management within the Department.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (24 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 16th 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 — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The Government announced a new further education and training authority to be called SOLAS (Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna) in July 2011. SOLAS has a mandate to ensure the provision of high-quality further education and training programmes to jobseekers and other learners for the 21st century. These services were previously provided by FÁS. SOLAS will operate under the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (24 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 — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: The Pensions Board is a regulatory body operating under the aegis of my Department. The statutory role of the Board is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act 1990. The Act defines the functions of the Board as follows: · to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act and pensions development generally, including trust Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs) and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. Increases in primary weekly social welfare payments are currently paid in respect of 490,157 qualified children. About three quarters of these increases are paid at full rate, in respect of 366,944 children, while the remaining 123,213 are paid at half rate. Payment of qualified child increases is made at half-rate, that is €14.90 per...