Results 14,741-14,760 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts, for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy. Compensation is based on the worker's length of reckonable service and reckonable weekly remuneration, subject to a ceiling of €600.00 per week. All payments are made from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). There are two types of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a diet supplement may be paid to a person who is receiving a social welfare or health service executive payment where a special diet is prescribed as a result of a specified medical condition and they satisfy a means test. A person's medical condition, such as diabetes, does not qualify them for a diet supplement rather it is the requirement...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The matter in question has been referred to the Pension Service of the Department of Works and Pensions, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. The Pension Services of the Department of Work and Pensions will contact the person concerned directly in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there is no direct link between the number of appeals received in a given year and the number processed in that year as all appeals received in a given year will not have been reached and the number of appeals processed will include appeals received in previous years. A total of 32,432 appeals were received in 2010 and 31,241 in 2011. In...

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: This Department does not receive any funding from the National Lottery.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) comes under the remit of the Department. The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the tables. Appointments to State...

Written Answers — Departmental Equipment: Departmental Equipment (27 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: There are in total 535 laptops deployed across the Department and there are no specific plans to upgrade any laptops this year. No tablets have been purchased by the Department for production use, however a small number of devices are being evaluated at present in the context of increased requirements for mobile working. In addition, some staff have been authorised, subject to appropriate...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I agree with Deputy O'Dea, in that the greatest scandal perpetrated in Ireland was the armed struggle conducted by the IRA and Sinn Féin against the people of this country, including the many thousands who were killed, injured or had their lives destroyed. The Mahon tribunal paints a picture of corruption and abuse of power endemic in politics, primarily in Fianna Fáil. The tribunal found...

Social Welfare Appeals (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Phelan for raising this important matter. Behind these numbers, there are people being affected by the appeal processing times. Unfortunately since the economic crash there has been an enormous increase in the numbers of appeals in the social welfare system. At the start of the year in 2008 - the year of the crash when things really began to bite - some 5,723 delayed appeals...

Social Welfare Appeals (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I have stated previously in the House that reform of the information technology and business structures is relevant to Deputies of all parties throughout the House. I would prefer to see fewer appeals and more determinations at the initial presentation of cases. If better information were available and a better presentation was made at the beginning we could reduce the volume of appeals...

Rent Supplement (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this issue. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants 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. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance and not to act as an...

Rent Supplement (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I have met with county managers and the Minister to discuss this issue. Yesterday, at Cabinet, we got the agreement to further the policy of transferring responsibility for the rent allowance to local authorities, keeping the rent allowance scheme as a short-term scheme. However, it seems that the lady and the gentleman about whom the Deputy spoke have a long-term rental requirement and...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (28 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. The Social Welfare Tribunal consists of a Chairperson and four ordinary members, two are nominated by the Irish...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: A redundancy lump sum claim in respect of the person concerned was received on 10 August 2011. We are currently processing lump sum claims received in July 2011.

Written Answers — National Internship Scheme: National Internship Scheme (28 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 organizations 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 Jobseekers Allowance/Benefit or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was awarded a rent supplement on 26 March 2012. She is in receipt of her full entitlement to rent supplement based on her household circumstances.

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: All the medical evidence received from the person concerned is being reviewed by the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Advisor and when his opinion is received the deciding officer will inform the person of the outcome.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The aim of Community Employment (CE) remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. The CE programme is one of a range of employment programmes offered by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Mar 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 — Carer's Allowance: Carer's Allowance (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The person in question was refused carer's allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full-time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. On 11th January 2012, she was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review/appeal within 21 days. Additional medical evidence was received and forwarded to the Medical Assessor for...