Results 13,161-13,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: It is the other way around.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: No. I will explain.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: No.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I will explain it later.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank the Senators who spoke and made such detailed and thoughtful contributions. I appreciate that people from all political parties have acknowledged the reality of the very difficult financial situation in which the country finds itself. As stated earlier, events in the eurozone may make the difficulties with which we must deal even more intense. It is not generally well known but...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Regarding lone parents, who Senator Mooney and a large number of Senators mentioned, the ESRI published a report last night which is referred to in the newspapers today. Senator Bacik raised this question also. The lone parents structure was changed forever in Ireland by the work done by Frank Cluskey, a former leader of the Labour Party, in the early 1970s when he introduced what was then...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: That is something on which we will all have to work, and organisations are correctly concerned about the poverty that loan parents and their children are experiencing in some cases. This would be an appropriate area to discuss and investigate to see if we can make the outcomes better. Today's ESRI report, which this House might have an opportunity to examine separately, is a good...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: If somebody has significant other incomes and additional social welfare payments are being made, the problem with the social welfare budget is that, given that we only have €20.5 billion to spend, if we are to be able to live within that budget we must find savings in some areas. The most important issue in social welfare is that we build a modern welfare state. The values of a welfare...

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The employment services division of FÁS will join the Department of Social Protection on 1 January 2012. This division has responsibility for CE schemes. This means the operational budget for CE schemes will become the responsibility of my Department. The division has 700 staff and it is also responsible for the local employment service. As part of its integration into the Department of...

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I want to mention the two reviews of community employment carried out recently, first, the Forfás review and, second, the ESRI review. Both said that, for quite a number of community employment participants, there is only a 1% to 3% chance of actually getting a job after they have participated. That is a very worrying outcome.

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The community employment schemes and the operational budget both come into the Department of Social Protection on 1 January. The Department has not been in charge of community employment scheme operations through FÁS and will not be until FÁS staff come into the Department in the new year. People should understand that the key change arises from that fact and from the fact of the...

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Deputy Cowen referred to people on FETAC courses and I visited the community employment scheme in Bluebell to which Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred. I am very confident that good community employment schemes with quality services and quality outcomes for participants will benefit from the review. The key point is the outcome for people as well as the services to the community and value for...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Entitlement to state pension (contributory) is based on the number of contributions paid by the recipient over the duration of his/her working life. It entitles the recipient to a personal rate of pension (i.e. the amount payable to a single person with no dependants) regardless of any other means or income that they have. An increase may also be paid in respect of a dependent adult, provided...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: There are currently over 18,900 households benefiting from the mortgage interest supplement scheme for which €77.2m has been allocated for 2011. A person may be entitled to a supplement towards the amount of mortgage interest payable in respect of his or her residence provided that: · The loan agreement was entered into at a time when, in the opinion of the Department, the person was in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an oral hearing was scheduled for the person concerned on 3rd October 2011. The appellant notified the Social Welfare Appeal that he had a hospital appointment on the same day and the Oral Hearing was duly cancelled. The case has been re-listed for an oral hearing and will be re-scheduled at the earliest available date. There has been a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 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 he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 23rd November 2011 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department has received three separate applications for carer's allowance from the person concerned in respect of three care recipients, including the person mentioned above. Her file has been referred to an investigative officer of the Department who has been asked to report and confirm whether all conditions for receipt of carer's allowance are satisfied in respect of...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Community employment (CE) helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. Some 1,100 organisations in the community, voluntary and not-for-profit sectors provide work and training placements for participants nationwide. The number of placements available during 2011, including supervisor...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The majority of civil servants commence their employment in the civil service on a pay scale that provides for annual increments up to a maximum point when they are regarded as having the full capacity for their role. The annual increment is normally paid on the anniversary of appointment provided performance, which includes attendance and punctuality during the year, is satisfactory. There...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department's press office generally deals with all media queries and public relations matters. No money has been spent by my Department on public relations companies since 2006.