Results 16,701-16,720 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Schemes have been allocated funding of between €500 and €1,000. Approximately 6% of schemes have been allocated less than that because the process depended on two things: the submission and application the schemes themselves made and the availability of funding for both materials and training of up to €1,000. Some schemes would have other forms of funding whereas other schemes might...

Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: -----to the actual work the scheme is doing. We have looked very closely at the work the scheme is doing in the community as well as the provision of the training experience to the community employment scheme participants.

Illness Benefit (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Illness benefit is a non-means-tested social insurance payment. It is payable to people who are unable to work owing to illness, satisfy the relevant contribution conditions, are certified as unfit for work by a medical practitioner and aged under 66 years. It is not payable for the first three days of an illness. That cost is borne by the employee, except where there is a work scheme....

National Employment and Entitlements Service (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 34 and 43 together. The Department is establishing the new national employment and entitlements service, NEES, which is central to the realisation of the Government's Pathways to Work policy. As set out in the NEES project plan, published on the Department's website, the development of the NEES is a multi-annual programme to the end of 2014. The first...

National Employment and Entitlements Service (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The targets set out in Pathways to Work are to be achieved in the period up to 2014. This is a major change. The first part of the year was spent taking in the new staff and integrating the three strands of staff, that is, the original Department of Social Protection staff; the former FÁS staff who, on 1 January, became civil servants and the former community welfare service staff who, on...

National Employment and Entitlements Service (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: We are examining options for private contractors. I referred to the local employment services. These are local companies which provide services on a one-to-one basis and offer an interesting and good model. These are not-for-profit bodies funded by the Department. They were formerly funded by FÁS. The annual spend on these programmes is approximately €20 million. There are other...

Disability Support Service (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I am committed to supporting people with a disability to participate more fully in society and enabling people to become more self-sufficient. To do this it is necessary to provide supports which address barriers that people may face when entering and remaining in the workforce. Earlier in the year I announced several initiatives in this area. First, a scheme of partial capacity benefit,...

Disability Support Service (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: As I stated, I have introduced a series of new options for persons with a disability. The partial capacity benefit had been spoken of as a desirable development for many years but I am happy to say that since becoming Minister, I have gone ahead and introduced it. That is an innovation which, over time, will bear fruit. Second, in the discussions on JobBridge, a number of Deputies and...

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 27 together. The €100 rate of jobseeker's allowance was introduced for claimants aged under 20 in April 2009, and this rate was applied to claimants aged up to 21 from December 2009. The €100 rate does not apply to certain categories of claimant, including those who were in the care of the HSE during the 12 months before they reached the age of 18....

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: My objective as a Minister is to ensure as far as possible that no young people in society go onto social welfare and that we provide a pathway for young people who may not be able to find work to continue to expand their education and training and to take up training positions and places from among the various options and opportunities we have laid out. I cannot stress enough how important...

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The most important thing for young people is to give them a future.

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: To imply, as the Deputy does, that the future for young people is contingent upon their becoming dependent on social welfare over a long period of their lives is wrong. In all my experience down the years - I have always lived in the centre of Dublin and am very familiar with people who become homeless - the most important thing-----

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: -----is to get those people as quickly as possible back into education, training, support, workshops and community employment schemes. Many people who become homeless, as I know and I am sure the Deputy is aware, have a complex series of problems. What they need is a helping hand in regard to accessing education and training and getting their lives back together.

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: If they take up the options that are there, they will get a full rate of payment. I went to very specific efforts to ensure the needs of people who are leaving care are specifically provided for. As well as having long experience with people who have become homeless, I have had an opportunity to sit down and discuss this with people from Focus Ireland. They agree it is important that we,...

Homeless Persons (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: What I am saying to the Deputy is that I expect him to perhaps encourage young people he may know in this situation to take up the options of education and training. This is very important for their future. We have some good options and opportunities available.

Written Answers — Social Insurance Fund: Social Insurance Fund (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 59 together. The Social Insurance Fund (SIF) is a pay-as-you-go social insurance scheme that is financed by contributions from employees, employers, the self-employed and by a contribution or 'subvention' from the Exchequer when the cost of the benefits paid from the Fund exceeds the contribution income. The Exchequer is the residual financier of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: Carer's allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after people in need of full-time care and attention. In 2011, approximately 50,000 carers were in receipt of carer's allowance at a cost of over €504 million. The maximum weekly rate is €204 for those under 66 with increases for qualified children. In addition, carers receive an annual respite care grant of €1,700 in...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: The number of places available on CE has remained constant at 23,300 including supervisors. The estimated cost of CE programmes in 2012 is €340 million. The financial review of CE Schemes has now been completed. The Department has contacted schemes to advise them of their revised material and training allocations. The materials and training CE Budget has been increased by €9.5million...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 42 together. Decisions on statutory social welfare schemes are made by statutorily appointed deciding officers/designated persons. They determine entitlement to social insurance and social assistance payments and liability for Pay Related Social Insurance contributions in accordance with the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 (as amended) and...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (17 Jul 2012)

Joan Burton: A Government decision was made recently to approve the drafting of Heads of a Bill to amend and add to the existing provisions contained in the Civil Registration Act 2004. The drafting of the Heads of a Bill will commence shortly. Many of the matters to be addressed in the Bill are complex and will require considerable consultation with other Government Departments and Offices. Following...