Results 14,841-14,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 02nd 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...

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department has no plans to abolish free travel for old age pensioners. The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 90...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: A bereavement grant is a payment designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It is a once-off payment, based on PRSI contributions, made from the Social Insurance Fund. To qualify for a bereavement grant, the person on whose insurance record the claim is based must have 156 PRSI contributions paid. Alternatively, if an insured person has between 26 and 155...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 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 (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 522 together. The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as quickly as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions include, in the case of jobseeker's allowance,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: At the end of March 2012 there were 7,040 Invalidity Pension (IP) claims registered and pending decision. Average time to award is currently 32 weeks, this includes the time taken to decide EU & bilateral cases which have a significantly longer processing time. It is not possible to segregate domestic claim processing times from EU/bi-lateral cases. In an effort to ensure continuity of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In the period from 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012 some 78,500 claims for illness benefit were processed. At the end of March 2012 there were 5,282 illness benefit claims awaiting decision. The average time to process a claim for illness benefit is one week. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 2,277 illness benefit cases awaiting a decision on appeal....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 23rd March 2012 and the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer decision when the appeal has been determined. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 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 Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence allowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision on 03rd April 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence, including that adduced at oral hearing, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned was afforded an opportunity at oral hearing to submit documentary evidence in support of his contentions made at the hearing. However, he did not avail of the...

Written Answers — Job Initiative: Job Initiative (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme came into operation on the 1st July 2011. Currently over 6,100 internships have commenced to date with 4,391 internships in place as at 5th April and over 1,960 opportunities are currently advertised on www.jobbridge.ie. Of the 6,149 internships which have commenced since the 1 July 2011, 2% of the internships are occupations associated with catering...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand that the person in question has been in touch with my Department on a number of occasions and that a reply has issued to her on the queries raised by her which are similar to those raised here in this question. I want to take this opportunity to again re-iterate the reasons for the upcoming changes to rate bands for State pension contributory. A core principle of sustainable...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: No additional funds have as yet been released to any schemes in Kerry, pending the outcome of the review. Schemes have been advised that where they are unable to continue to operate on current funding levels during the period of the review, they should directly contact the DSP Officer responsible for the scheme to discuss possible solutions.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 293 of 27 March 2012 inadvertently dealt with an appeal in relation disability allowance which is also registered with the Office for the person concerned. This appeal is still open. In relation to the appeal in respect of invalidity pension, I am advised that an Appeals Officer having fully...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term 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. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned recommenced employment and failed to notify the Department hence his rent supplement was suspended. Income details were received from his employer on 28th March 2012. His claim will be reassessed this week and he will be advised of his entitlement.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: There is no record of an application being received for rent allowance for the person concerned.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 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. An appeal was registered on 09 March 2012 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...