Results 13,301-13,320 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The recently announced changes to the rates of payment for State pension are necessary if we are to ensure the sustainability of pension provision into the future. People are living longer and healthier lives and growing numbers of people want to work, or may need to work beyond State pension age. The challenges facing the Irish pension system are significant. There are currently six...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: One parent family payment (OFP) is a means tested social assistance payment. The amount of the payment depends on the weekly means of the parent. In assessing means, account is taken of all cash income which the person is receiving including maintenance payments. Currently, earnings of less than €130 per week are excluded from the assessment of means, with the result that people earning...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department has been accepting new claims for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) since 1 April 2009. Statistics relating to the allowance for the period prior to April 2009 are a matter for the HSE, the previous administrators of the scheme. The number of applicants for DCA that were received, awarded and refused in each year to date is detailed in the table. A breakdown of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal for the person concerned has not been registered. However, because of the large number of appeals currently being lodged, there is a backlog in the office in registering appeals. If the appeal has been submitted in recent weeks the appeal will be registered and acknowledged in due course. The Chief Appeals Officer has assured...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: It would take some time to retrieve the funding breakdown for each of the Community Employment Schemes in County Louth for each of the three years. The overall expenditure on Community Employment Programmes administered by the FAS Offices in Dundalk and Drogheda over the three year period in question is as follows: Dundalk Drogheda 2009 €7,861,376 €6,346,664 2010 €7,751,245...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21 September 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 5...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The announced changes to the allowances and grants payable to Community Employment programmes and participants were not restricted to the special Community Employment drug rehabilitation projects. Such projects continue to maintain the favourable criteria enjoyed by them in relation to supervisor ratios, support workers, duration and eligibility criteria. Following changes to Community...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: Following changes to Community Employment schemes announced in Budget 2012, the Government is fully committed to the protection and development of community and social employment initiatives. A financial review of CE schemes will commence immediately. No Community Employment scheme will close pending the outcome of this financial review. The purpose of the review will be to establish the...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: This financial review of Community Employment schemes announced will in the first instance be carried at local level between regional Department of Social Protection staff with each Sponsor. This will involve a meeting with each Sponsor and the gathering of information relating to the operation and the services delivered by each project. In addition, during the financial review process...

Written Answers — Universal Social Charge: Universal Social Charge (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The earnings assessed for social assistance means testing purposes generally is based on earnings net of PRSI contributions, superannuation/PRSA contributions and trade union subscriptions. No account is taken in the calculation of any income taxes payable on earnings i.e. the assessment is based on gross earnings before tax. Given that the universal social charge is a tax, the impact of this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on 18th November 2011. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department's Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the customer. The Deputy should note that it currently takes up to nine weeks to process an application.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The qualifying conditions for State pension (contributory) require the applicant to: · have entered insurable employment before attaining the age of 56 years. · have at least 260 paid contribution weeks, since entry into insurance, from employment or self-employment. · have a yearly average of at least 10 paid/credited contributions. According to the records of the Department, the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: There is no record of a rent supplement application in respect of the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to apply for rent supplement he should complete an application form and return it to the Central Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 390 together. I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that 34,027 appeals were processed during 2011 of which 6,035 were revised in favour of the appellant by the Deciding Officer without the necessity for ultimate referral to an Appeals Officer for determination. A further 2,602 appeals were withdrawn. Of the 25,390 appeals determined by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 1 June 2011. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration and the Appeals Officer has referred this case back to the Social Welfare Services Office for clarification on certain issues. On receipt of their response, the case will be further considered by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 August 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 30...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on satisfying means, residency, full-time care provision and medical suitability criteria. In the interests of fairness and equity, applications for carer's allowance are generally processed in order of the date the applications are received. However, individual cases may be given priority where exceptional circumstances exist. In determining...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made an application for rent supplement on 14 November 2011 and is seeking a higher rent limit than is relevant to a single person. The person concerned has been living in the family home of his parents and has not provided verification of having access to his child/ maintenance payments/ previous rented family accommodation. The single rate of €529 per month limit...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The people concerned were not permanent Community Welfare Officers but were assigned by the Health Service Executive on a temporary basis to posts in the Community Welfare Service. Contracts of this nature were not comprehended by the protocols governing the transfer of the Community Welfare Service to my Department and accordingly these individuals could not be considered for transfer.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: Carers play a particularly important role in society which the Government acknowledges through a range of supports, including carer's allowance, half-rate carer's allowance, carer's benefit, the respite care grant, free travel and household benefits. The means test for carer's allowance is one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse's...