Results 17,621-17,640 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for a redundancy lump sum payment in respect of the person concerned was received in the Department in August 2012. It is expected that the claim will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3rd April 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 the 13th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Payments (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: On 27 June 2011 the High Court in the UK appointed joint administrators to the company to which the Deputy refers. Subsequently, in May 2012, liquidators were appointed. Another organisation, also UK based, has been appointed to act as an agent with respect to submitting claims under the insolvency payments scheme. To date, insolvency claims have been paid in respect of 83 former...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling those in receipt of certain social welfare payments to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. A person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (10 Oct 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 July 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 Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10th May 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 4th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Issues (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: South Galway Money Advice & Budgeting Service (MABS) is funded through the Citizens Information Board, to assist people living in Galway city and environs, including the area in question, who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The main office for South Galway MABS is located in Galway city and there are two sub-offices – one in Loughrea and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (10 Oct 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 — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Legal Costs (10 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department records expenditure on legal and compensation costs and fees under a single heading. The elements of these payments relating solely to legal fees are not recorded separately. The total expenditure on legal and compensation costs-fees from 1 January 2012 to 9 October 2012 was €202,092. As it is not possible to predict what settlements will be made in the future, a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 96 together. The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of nearly €6.26 billion on pensions in 2012 or 30.4% of total expenditure. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report, 2012–2014, published last December, provides for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €1,033 million over the next two years in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Pension Benefit Schemes Issues (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 88 and 103 together. I am very aware of the serious funding challenge facing defined benefits pension schemes. The fundamental problem is that pensions are significantly more expensive due to increasing life expectancy and lower than expected investment returns which are reflected in increased annuity rates. The Pensions Regulator suspended the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has not been received by that office. 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 — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: A breakdown of the 263,515 families in receipt of a primary social welfare payment who are also recipients of a child dependent payment by payment type and family size is in the following table: Social Welfare Payments 1 Qualified Child 2 Qualified Children 3 Qualified Children 4 Qualified Children 5 Qualified Children 6+ Qualified Children Total Families With Children Total...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on the 7 March 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in question subsequently submitted...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of nearly €2.08 billion on child benefit in 2012 or 10.1% of total expenditure. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report, 2012 – 2014, published last December, provides for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €1,033 million over the next two years in the Department of Social Protection’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Eligibility for optical benefit is based on a customer’s PRSI record. To check the eligibility of an individual will require the person’s PPS number, a person already in receipt of invalidity pension is likely to qualify for optical benefit as the qualifying conditions are similar. Optical benefit covers a free yearly optical examination, no additional treatments are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Sick Pay Scheme Expenditure (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government is considering the introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay at this time for a number of compelling reasons – firstly, as a measure to help in addressing the deficit in the social insurance fund; secondly, as a measure to limit progression from short-term illness to long-term illness or disability; and thirdly, to bring Ireland into line with practices in other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that 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 submission of the additional evidence the Appeals Officer has agreed to review the case. The person concerned will be contacted when the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the invalidity pension claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 24 July 2012 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (11 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: When determining eligibility for back to education allowance (BTEA) a number of factors are taken into account including, but not limited to, age of applicant, receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified duration, current educational qualifications, proposed course of study and the institution in which it is to take place. Returning to education would be considered when...