Results 13,961-13,980 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. All scheme areas are subject to continuous business process improvement supported by modern technology, the potential of which is continuously harnessed and applied to maximum effect. Claims are processed in the most efficient and expeditious way possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: This matter is being considered in the context of the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The reductions in training and employment grants were decided in the context of the available reports on Community Employment and the need to ensure that expenditure is targeted appropriately. My Department will seek to minimise the effects of these changes on those schemes most affected and will examine the income and expenditure of schemes with reference to their capacity to absorb the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: A claim for a State pension (contributory) was received from the person concerned on 31 August 2011. The claim was disallowed on 7 November 2011 as he had an outstanding PRSI (self-employment) liability, and the reason for this decision was communicated to him on that date. The Department has today been advised by Revenue that the PRSI liability has been fully discharged by the person...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was refused carer's allowance on two separate issues, firstly on the grounds that she is working outside the home for more than 15 hours per week and secondly that the care recipient is not so invalided or disabled as to require full-time care and attention as laid down in legislation. On 25 January 2012, she was notified of this decision and the reasons for it....

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: A Departmental facilitator has been in touch with the person concerned and has made arrangements to meet him next week in Maynooth health centre to advise him of the education, training and employment supports that are available to him.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: To qualify for back to education allowance (BTEA) a person must secure a place on an approved course of education and satisfy the qualification conditions immediately prior to the commencement of the first year of the course. If the persons concerned are due to commence a full-time second or third level course of education they should complete an application form for BTEA. A deciding...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been in receipt of rent supplement since 5 August 2011. She is in receipt of her full entitlement based on her household circumstances. There is no record of a rent supplement application in respect of her sister. If the person concerned wishes to apply for rent supplement she should complete an application form and return it to the Central Rents Unit, PO Box 11758,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: All arrears of rent allowance due to the person concerned were paid in three payments between April and July 2010.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: A redundancy lump sum claim in respect of the person concerned was received on 28 July 2011. We are currently processing redundancy lump sum claims received at the start of June 2011.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. Rent supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department's relationship...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These ENP payments are a vital component of the SWA scheme and link the income support function of the scheme with the wider...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Children's Rights Alliance Report Card for 2012 assesses progress in the implementation of the Programme for Government from a non–governmental organisations' perspective. In the context of children and the social welfare system, the report acknowledges the progress made with regard to the establishment of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare and suggests that the Advisory Group...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (9 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare in June 2011 in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government. Members of the Group have expertise in economic and social policy as well as other relevant areas and include a mix of experience and expertise from within and outside the public sector. I appointed a Steering Group on the National Internship Scheme in May 2011...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government has approved a number of changes to defined benefit (DB) pension provisions in order to enhance the security of members benefits and to increase equity in the provision of pension benefits between scheme members. It is proposed to reform and strengthen the Funding Standard by requiring DB pension schemes to hold a risk reserve as a protection against future volatility in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on 15th December 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on 26th January 2012 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant may submit...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Pensions are a long-term investment aimed at ensuring that people have an adequate income in retirement. Government policy supports this aspiration through generous tax reliefs and we are currently reforming the pension system to ensure its future sustainability. There are a number of reasons why early withdrawals of pension savings are not permitted, or desirable, the principal one being...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th October 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 03rd...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: There are currently 311 persons employed by Community Employment Schemes located in the Clondalkin area, 49 in Palmerstown and 14 in Lucan. ** Please see individual programme details below (as at 3rd February 2012); Location Sponsor Current No Supervisor Asst. Super Drugs Task Force Health Childcare Other Clondalkin Bawnogue Youth and Family Support 28 2 1 25 Clondalkin Cabhair 19 1 10...