Results 14,501-14,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14th 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 04th...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rural social scheme is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Persons are engaged for 191⁄2 hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The rural social scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. I...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The process of reviewing each Community Employment (CE) scheme is continuing. Returns from the review meetings are now being examined on a regional basis in terms of the funding requirements and what savings can be achieved within the limits set down by the Department. These outcomes will be analysed and will form the basis of the review findings which will be available from the end of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: State pension (transition) (SPT) and State pension (contributory) (SPC) are social insurance payments made when a person reaches 65 and 66 years of age respectively. They are both based on the person's social insurance record (PRSI) from employment or self employment. To qualify a person needs to (a) enter insurable employment by age 55 for State pension (transition) and age 56 for State...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The challenges facing the Irish pension system are significant. There are currently six people of working age for every pensioner and this ratio is expected to decrease to approximately two to one by 2050. In addition, those aged over 65 will account for a greater proportion of the population while the proportion who are of working age is expected to decline. So the task of financing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Further to my response to Parliamentary Question Ref. No. 9733/12 on 21 February 2012, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there is no update to the information given previously. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Tús, the community work placement initiative introduced during 2011, will provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year when fully operational. As of week ending, 2nd March 2012, 2,992 persons were on the payroll with 5,000 to be employed when Tús is fully operational. As of Monday, 5th March 2012, 50 participants and 3 supervisors have...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I am very conscious of the need to provide efficient and effective customer facing services at a local level for clients of the Department in Kerry and every other part of the country and in this regard the location of the Department's offices are kept under constant review to ensure Departmental services are easily accessible to all clients. In order to offer a more streamlined, efficient...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 04th 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned had no court approved access to his child prior to the application for rent supplement. Hence, the Department consistently requested that the client reduce his rent to the single limit for Kildare in order to qualify for rent supplement. However, the client has not complied with any of the requests to date. When the person concerned renegotiates the rent to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The persons concerned are in receipt of payments which are in excess of the prescribed income rates applicable. The income limit appropriate for this couple is €312.80 per week. However, the household is in receipt of an average income of €496.78 per week and are thus entitled to a monthly rent supplement of €62.40.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department but it does not have a Board. Since 1 January 2009, no person who was a member of any of the above Boards within the preceding 12 months has...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the illness benefit claim of the person concerned was disallowed by a deciding officer of the Department following an examination by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. She appealed this decision and in that context she was examined by another Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal was registered, in this case, on 7 March 2012 and in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 27 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 4...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Employee Retention Grant Scheme is one of four employment support schemes included in the DSP Reasonable Accommodation Fund which were administered by FÁS until December 2011, and subsequently by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) since January 2012, namely: - Work Equipment Adaptation Grant - Job Interview Grant - Personal Reader Grant - Employee Retention Grant FÁS did...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS) was administered by FÁS until December 2011. It was originally titled the Disability Awareness Training Scheme (DATS) but it was renamed in 2011 by FÁS on the withdrawal of the FÁS/Enterprise Ireland National Register of Trainers. It is administered by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) since January 2012. FÁS did not collate details...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not finalised for 2011. I have provided, for his information, a table which sets out by actual scheme the cost to the State of illness benefit, invalidity pension and occupational injury benefit for the years 2007 to 2010 together with the provisional outturn for 2011 and the provision in the 2012 Revised Estimates Volume in respect of these schemes....

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The National Internship Scheme provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals on the Live Register, in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. The scheme is limited to individuals who are currently on the Live Register and have been in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance/Benefit or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department but it does not have a Board. Details of current members and appointments in relation to these three bodies are available on the Department's...