Results 16,441-16,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: In order to qualify for domiciliary care allowance (DCA), a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention substantially in excess of another child of the same age without the disability and must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. Qualification for the scheme is not based on the particular disability of...

Written Answers — Invalidity Pension: Invalidity Pension (28 Jun 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. Unfortunately,...

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

Joan Burton: 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 alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: My officials have during the last eight 8 months met parents and advocacy groups on a number of occasions to discuss issues relating to the administration of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme. During the course of these meetings participants were provided with details of the processes that operate as part of the application, review and appeal elements of the scheme. The medical...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: Officers from my Department who are absent on sick leave are required to comply with civil service policies on the management of sick leave, as outlined in Department of Finance Circular 09/2010 and with the Department's Attendance Management Policy. Where a sick absence lasts more than two working days, a medical certificate must be submitted. Repeated short term absences and sick leave...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department's Action Plan, and those of the agencies under the aegis of my Department, namely the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board, were prepared in January 2010, having regard to the economic and budgetary environment at that time. My Department subsequently prepared a single integrated Action Plan in January 2012 which encompassed the actions to be taken forward by my...

Written Answers — Citizen Information Services: Citizen Information Services (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The Citizens Information Board has informed me that they will submit their draft Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015 to me following consideration by the Board at its next meeting. When the Strategic Plan is approved a copy will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and published on the Citizens Information Board website www.citizensinformationboard.ie

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: It is an objective of my Department to provide a quality customer service in both Irish and English in response to customer demand. It is not possible to completely isolate all of the costs for the provision of services in the Irish language within the total cost of service provision in every instance. The cost of providing some elements of service through the Irish language can be...

Written Answers — Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: It is an objective of my Department to provide a quality customer service in both Irish and English in response to customer demand. It is not possible to completely isolate all of the costs for the provision of services in the Irish language within the total cost of service provision in every instance. The cost of providing some elements of service through the Irish language can be...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Following receipt of outstanding documents required for the rent supplement review, this claim has been reassessed and payment (including arrears of one month) will issue on 28th June 2012. The person concerned has been notified of the decision.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Recent figures released by the Pensions Board highlight that the number of individuals with occupational pension schemes stands at 771,878 as at April 2012. This figure represents a reduction of approximately 5% on 2010 occupational pension coverage figures. However, it does not include the latest figure of 198,028 for those with Personal Retirement Savings Accounts which has increased by...

Written Answers — Back to Work Placement Programme: Back to Work Placement Programme (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The Work Placement Programme is available to unemployed people whether they are in receipt of a social welfare payment or not. If the person concerned wishes to participate in the programme, she should register for the programme at her local Employment Services Office (FAS Office), Main Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

Written Answers — Invalidity Pension: Invalidity Pension (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received a claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who expressed the opinion that he was not...

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the Disability Allowance appeal for the person concerned was withdrawn on 27th June 2012 on the basis of a revised decision. 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 entitlements.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The CE Financial Review Report will be published later in July. CE scheme sponsors are currently being individually notified of their revised materials and training allocations for 2012.

Written Answers — Carer's Allowance: Carer's Allowance (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The information requested is contained in the table.

Written Answers — Carer's Allowance: Carer's Allowance (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Number of Carer's Allowance Applications Year Number Decided Number Awarded Number Disallowed 2009 17,957 10,730 5,776 2010 16,629 8,769 6,972 2011 13,886 7,467 5,227 2012 (January–May) 4,993 2,850 2,143 Carer's allowance is a demand-led scheme and the number of awards in any given period reflects the extent to which the applications received met the statutory conditions for the scheme.

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7th 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. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 29th...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: There is no record in the Department of an application for Rent Supplement from the person concerned.

Written Answers — One-Parent Family Payment: One-Parent Family Payment (3 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that 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. On receipt of an appeal in the Social Welfare Appeals Office, the appeal is returned to the local office or line section for this purpose. On occasion,...