Results 16,721-16,740 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. As can be seen from the data in the table below, schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process....
- Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I hope to have this seminar around October. Representatives of all the interested parties in employment schemes will be invited, including sponsors of the schemes, social partners, the community and voluntary sector and labour market policy-makers.
- Written Answers — Maternity Benefit: Maternity Benefit (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded by this Department to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. Under the provisions of social welfare legislation, the 26-week period of core statutory maternity leave attracts a payment from this Department â...
- Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The review of the domiciliary care allowance scheme commenced last week. The group undertaking the review comprises representatives from a number of Government Departments, the National Disability Authority and other persons with relevant experience. The terms of reference for the review allows for a consultation process with parents and representative groups to be held. The group is due to...
- Written Answers — Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare: Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 37 together. Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that Ireland now faces. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these challenges. To this end, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare last year, with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience to...
- Written Answers — Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: Officials from the Department of Social Protection have not engaged in discussions with the Department of Education and Skills with regard to reducing the cost of school uniforms as this is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills. The Department of Education and Skills has encouraged schools to consider, where possible, the use of generic uniforms or any...
- Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: Following the completion of the financial review of Community Employment, â¬5.5m of the 2012 CE Budget has been ring-fenced for training. This equates to a training grant of approximately â¬250 per place annually. Flexibility can be applied to exceed the rate of â¬250 per place once the overall budget for the region is not exceeded and where added value to the progression of the...
- Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The review is at an advanced draft stage and I expect it to be submitted to me for consideration during the Summer. It is my intention to engage in consultation with stakeholders before deciding on my response to the report. Any proposed significant changes to the operation of programmes will be a matter for Government. The report will be published when this process is complete, which I...
- Written Answers — Sick Pay Scheme: Sick Pay Scheme (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 242 together. A range of complex issues needs to be addressed before any decision could be taken by Government on the possible introduction of such a scheme. These include the extent of coverage; the duration of payment; the rate of payment; compensation mechanisms for employers; and how to ensure such a scheme would be enforced and policed. Earlier...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 323 together. Increasing retirement age was a key question that was considered in a major consultation exercise conducted as part of the preparation work for the Green Paper on Pensions and the National Pensions Framework. Some 380 individuals and almost 70 organisations made written submissions while over 500 people attended consultation events. A...
- Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 58 together. There are approximately 92,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of â¬436 million for 2012. The aim of rent supplement is to provide short term income assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. New maximum rent limits were...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that publishing Appeals Officer's decisions would require a significant amount of effort as they would need to be suitably edited to ensure the full picture is given and also as details would need to be changed to ensure personal data is not disclosed. Given the large number of appeals decisions given each year, 25,390 in 2011 for example,...
- Written Answers — Maternity Benefit: Maternity Benefit (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded by this Department to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. Under the provisions of social welfare legislation, the 26-week period of core statutory maternity leave attracts a payment from this Department â...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The Government agreed to the drafting of legislation to provide for a change in the way the assets of a pension scheme are disbursed following wind-up of an under-funded scheme. This is a complex and sensitive issue that requires any proposed solution to achieve the desired level of equity for all scheme members. Officials from my Department are currently undertaking a detailed examination...
- Written Answers — Invalidity Pension: Invalidity Pension (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that, subject to qualifying conditions, it provides assistance to any persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a habitual residency condition and...
- Written Answers — Community Welfare Services: Community Welfare Services (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: On 1 October 2011, the community welfare service transferred from the Health Service Executive to the Department of Social Protection. Former community welfare officers (CWOs) are known as 'Designated Persons' for the purposes of the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme. The purpose of the transfer was to provide a streamlined, consistent and enhanced service to...
- Written Answers — Carer's Allowance: Carer's Allowance (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The application for carer's allowance from the person in question was refused on the ground that the care recipient is not in need of full-time care and attention as laid down in the regulations. The person in question has requested a review of this decision and has submitted further medical evidence in support of the application. Once the review is completed, they will be notified directly...
- Written Answers — Illness Benefit: Illness Benefit (17 Jul 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. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision on 11th July 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...
- Written Answers — Carer's Allowance: Carer's Allowance (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for carer's allowance from the person in question. On completion of the necessary investigations relating to all aspects of the case a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
- Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (17 Jul 2012)
Joan Burton: The review of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme, as recently announced will commence shortly. The group undertaking the review will be comprised of representatives from a number of government Departments, the National Disability Authority and other persons with relevant experience. Three representatives from a working group established by Downs Syndrome Ireland, Inclusion Ireland,...