Results 13,381-13,400 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (12 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department does not maintain statistics in relation to the number of companies with regard to their inability to pay statutory redundancy. However, as lump sums are paid where companies refuse to pay or are unable to pay, an indicator, which may be useful to the Deputy in this regard, is the level of lump sums in comparison to rebate payments, as shown in the table below: Year Total...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (12 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 to 161, inclusive, together. For the past number of years, my Department has been actively engaged in data matching with other Government Departments and public bodies for control purposes. To this end, there is an extensive legal structure to support the sharing of data for the purpose of controlling the entitlement and payment of benefits. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (12 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on 16th June 2010 from the person concerned. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that her child was medically eligible for the allowance. DCA cases processed by the Department have a review date entered when initially awarded. This date is based on the recommendation of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (12 Jan 2012)

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 and 2011 when the intake rose to 32,432 and 31,241...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (12 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: I am delighted Senator Cullinane raised this very important issue. Community employment schemes provide a very important and valued contribution to social employment, training and progression for unemployed people. Furthermore, many community employment schemes provide vital community services not only in Waterford but throughout the country. Currently, there are 1,143 community employment...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (12 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: As I said, the former FÁS employment officials joined the Department on 1 January. Basically, they started work as civil servants in the Department of Social Protection last Wednesday. We are in a new era and I believe it is an era of opportunity, even though as the Senator is aware, the financial constraints are very difficult. This is an opportunity to do something very positive in...

Community Employment Schemes (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputies who raised this issue. I am happy to have responsibility for community employment from 1 January. These schemes play an important role in our communities, in particular by providing services which have an intrinsic social value like helping the disabled to live independently or delivering meals-on-wheels and other services to our older citizens. This is a point that...

Community Employment Schemes (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: As the Deputies appreciate, the schemes only came under my remit on 1 January. They will make a very important contribution. The Government, in the budget, maintained the numbers and its commitments to the schemes. It is important that this message goes out. With regard to schemes that have contracts, as described by a number of Deputies, if the scheme representatives deal on a one-to-one...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The number of redundancy applications received in my Department on a month by month basis in 2011 is as follows; January 4,846 February 3,089 March 5,349 April 3,725 May 4,102 June 3,669 July 4,703 August 3,828 September 3,367 October 2,265 November 3,969 December 6,850 Total 49,762

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The number of redundancy applications (rebate and lump sum) received in my Department between 6 December 2011 and 31 December 2011 was 5,962.

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 provided for the transfer of responsibility for MABS to the Citizens Information Board (CIB), under the aegis of my Department, in July 2009 in order to provide strong management and other...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23rd 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 28th ...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1A redundancy lump sum claim in respect of the person concerned was received on 5 July 2011. Redundancy lump sum claims received in May 2011 are currently being processed.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 27th July 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 21st ...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3rd December 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 6th ...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1My Department has no plans to carry out a general review of rent supplement payments in March 2012. Budget 2012 introduced changes to the rent supplement scheme. With effect from 1 January 2012 the minimum contribution payable by all tenants under the rent supplement scheme increased from €24 per week to €30 per week. In addition a higher rate minimum contribution of €35 per week was...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 2057Pathways to Work is a consolidated approach to the delivery of employment, welfare, and training/education services to unemployed people. Final arrangements are being made for its launch and I expect that it will be launched, as Government policy, shortly.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: The Employment Service section of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) provides a range of services and supports to all Jobseekers. Clients can register at an Employment Service office, for on-site career guidance and job placement services. The following is a brief outline of the range of services/supports available: · Guidance interview(s) with an Employment Services Officer to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1I confirm that an application for carer's allowance was received from the person in question. Her file has been referred to an investigative officer of this Department for further examination and confirmation that all conditions for receipt of carer's allowance are satisfied. On completion of the necessary investigations relating to all aspect of her claim a decision will be made and the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (17 Jan 2012)

Joan Burton: 1In assessing weekly family income for the purposes of the family income supplement (FIS) the value of primary social welfare payments is taken into account when means are assessed. This Budget measure relating to the inclusion of carer's benefit or carer's allowance payments in the income assessment for FIS is designed to bring the treatment of carer's allowance and carer's benefit into...