Results 14,341-14,360 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Tax and Social Welfare Code (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand why the Deputy originally contacted the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation about the scheme. I am aware of job sharing arrangements in other countries but, from the point of view of my Department, we would have to be careful that pension contributions were not diminished. In light of our welcome longevity in life expectancy and the increasing proportion of older...

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Currently, 1,143 community employment schemes are in operation nationally, with 23,300 place, 22,000 participants and 1,300 full-time equivalent supervisor posts. The budgeted number of places for participants and supervisors in 2012 will be the same as in 2011. The overall estimated budget for community employment will be in excess of €315 million for 2012. Community employment schemes...

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I have discussed this on a number of occasions with the Deputies present in the House. Responsibility for CE schemes transferred to the Department of Social Protection on 1 January and the review within the Department of Social Protection could commence only at that point. There was a commitment to two reviews, both of which are under way and which should be completed by the end of March....

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: It is the overall employment support budget.

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Some.

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Responsibility for the CE schemes transferred to the Department of Social Protection along with the FÁS employment services. I am very committed to the role of CE schemes. As I have said previously, they provide very valuable social services. We need to consider the quality of experience people gain on the schemes. We must also seek value for money. As the Deputy is aware all areas of...

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Domiciliary care allowance is paid to more than 24,000 parents and guardians in respect of 26,000 children at a cost of approximately €100 million in 2011, with the accompanying respite care grant costing a further €45 million. In addition, the Department makes an extensive range of payments to support families with children. In 2011, some €2.08 billion was paid out in respect of 1.13...

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I put it to the Deputy that there were advertisements in the newspaper recently relating to the review being carried out and an invitation to interested individuals or organisations. Certainly, I will ask the officials of the Department to re-advise any of the caring organisations that the review is ongoing and that they have been asked to make submissions. I understand they are all aware...

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Deputy Ó Snodaigh has suggested that parents should be given a longer period of notice before a review takes place. I will examine whether that is possible. The Deputy is aware that the domiciliary care allowance was taken over from the HSE and the Department of Health only a short number of years ago. The assessment for the domiciliary care allowance and the reviews are medically based....

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I take the reference to expanding and extending the pre-notice period. None of the cases taken over from the HSE has been fully reviewed as yet. When the medical diagnosis and assessments are made there are often review dates put on the file to determine how the child progresses. Perhaps shortly after the initial award is made the parents could be advised so that they are made aware.

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: As announced in the Pathways to Work programme, one of the five strands will provide greater targeting of activation places and opportunities for job seekers, especially those who are more than one year unemployed. My Department will continue to provide supports in the form of work experience and training through the community and voluntary sectors. There are 85,650 places through a variety...

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Deputy referred to special places. I assume he has in mind ring-fenced places for CE schemes managed by community drug teams and services which, essentially, are rehabilitative in nature. In the review, I asked specifically that this particular CE provision remain ring-fenced, because it provides an important and particular service to people who have or have had a drug problem who are...

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: In child care, there is a specific budget within the overall budget for training. I do not want to prejudge the outcome of the review but child care will occupy a significant and important place with regard to both training opportunities for employment in both the public and private sector and in terms of delivery to a local community where access to good quality child care and after school...

Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Given the transfer of CE to the Department of Social Protection, its importance, the large amount of money spent on CE, the large numbers of people on CE and the 1,400 supervisors employed, it would be very odd if the Department did not conduct a review of this important and significant area of social, economic and training activity. I am aware that many people have asked why we did not...

Farm Assist Scheme (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The changes in the farm assist scheme referred to by the Deputy will result in estimated savings of €5 million in a full year and will affect approximately 10,000 recipients. Farm assist is a means-tested payment which is broadly similar to jobseeker's allowance. There are currently approximately 11,310 recipients on the scheme. It is expected to cost €115 million this year, slightly...

Farm Assist Scheme (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: As I said, the farm assist scheme currently benefits 11,311 farmers and farm families. Approximately 10% of them are not affected by this measure because they have little or no income from farming. As I indicated in my reply, the disregards that apply are significantly in excess of what is provided under jobseeker's allowance. In fact, farm assist will continue to constitute a significant...

Farm Assist Scheme (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not have records with me on the number of visits by inspectors. I will ask officials in the Department to send that information to the Deputy. The changes took place in the context of budget 2012. There are no proposals for any further changes. As the Deputy will appreciate, I am not in a position to give undertakings about future budgets.

Employment Support Services (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The first step in establishing the proposed national employment and entitlements service involved transferring staff from the community welfare service and FÁS to the Department of Social Protection. As I said earlier, the transfer of more than 1,700 staff from the two bodies was completed on schedule in October 2011 and January 2012. Approximately 7,000 staff are now employed in the...

Employment Support Services (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department's staff development unit includes trainers from the Department and the former community welfare service. This unit, which takes the lead in developing and organising relevant training, is planning to train staff on the new services and processes. Some 29 staff are employed directly in the staff development unit. Its training budget for 2012 is €1.6 million, which compares...

Control Savings (1 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Control savings are an estimate of the value of the various control activities across the Department's schemes. They represent an estimate of the value of prevented future social welfare expenditure on claims that would have been incurred if the control work had not been carried out. Control savings are used as a performance indicator for year-on-year activities. They do not include any...