Results 14,761-14,780 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Cheques: Social Welfare Cheques (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department currently issues approximately 87 million payments in respect of over 60 welfare schemes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis depending on the scheme type. These are delivered via electronic transfers to An Post and to banks, building society accounts, certain credit unions and by cheque. 104,150 people were paid by cheque over the course of February 2012. This represented...

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 9 November 2011. The claim is currently being processed and is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The deciding officer decided that the person concerned failed to meet the condition of being habitually resident in the State on the basis of the nature and purpose of her residence in the State and that the person failed to show her main centre of interest was Ireland. The deciding officer, in making his decision, also noted that the person was absent from the State for a lengthy period of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 154 and 158 together. Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment to the carer of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. The child...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 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 18th January 2012. 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. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in due course to...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Pathways to work is a new approach to working with individuals to assist them in returning to work at the earliest possible opportunity. The implementation of this approach requires a significant investment in and transformation of operating structures processes and systems and will, as a consequence, require a multi-annual programme of work. As part of this programme, the Department will...

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

Joan Burton: Following clarification of the changes to the Community Employment (CE) programme announced in Budget 2012, correspondence was sent to the operational staff responsible for the CE programme on the 3rd February 2012. The statement in this correspondence related to the Materials and Training budget allocations as follows: The baseline amount of the grant remains the €500 per participant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal, of the person concerned, by way of summary decision. Notification of the Appeals Officers decision issued 26 March 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 to 163, inclusive, together. The Office of Public Works provides design, acquisition, refurbishment and maintenance services to the Department. The Department does not engage external property consultants, surveyors or estate agents nor is it responsible for the details of leasing arrangements, such as rent review clauses, as these matters are dealt with...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 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 15 February 2012. 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. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in due course to an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that we face. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues and ensuring work is worthwhile. To this end, last year I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience in order to address a number of specific...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. Following the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: There are two claims in respect of this individual. A redundancy lump sum claim was awarded and payment issued directly to the person concerned in November 2011. An insolvency claim in respect of this individual was received on 13 October 2011 and this will be processed in due course.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The cost to my Department for airfares for the official visit to New York for St Patricks Day 2012 was € 1,623.64. This includes the airfare costs for one official from the Department who accompanied the Minister. Details of other expenditure such as accommodation and ancillary costs are not yet available.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The financial review of Community Employment Schemes has proved to be a valuable exercise for both the schemes themselves and for my Department. The examination that is being carried out has yielded details of expenditure which at this early stage suggest that savings can be made in the administrative costs of schemes. Given the volume and breath of the data being returned, the financial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand this question is intended to refer to domiciliary care allowance and not carer's allowance. Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment to the carer of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 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 19th January 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments on or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in due course to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. In the interests of fairness applications are processed, as far as possible, in order of the date on which they were received. There were c 53,000 people in receipt of carer's payments as at the end of February 2012 this represents an increase of c 60% over the past five years. In addition there are, at...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme operates from the beginning of June until the end of September each year. The spouse of the person concerned was awarded this allowance for two children and a payment of €505 was made into her bank account in September, 2011. My Department has no responsibility in the area of the drug repayment scheme. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Rural Social Scheme: Rural Social Scheme (29 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 scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. I have no plans to...