Results 17,781-17,800 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: JobBridge the National Internship Scheme provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals on the Live Register, in organisations operating in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. The principal aim of each Internship advertised through the scheme is to provide interns with an opportunity to keep close to the labour market while gaining...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 372 and 373 together. The savings arising in 2013 and 2014 from the changes to the child benefit scheme which were announced in budget 2012, are €70.65 million in each of those two years. The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €20.55 billion in 2012 on the wide range of schemes and services operated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: A review of Rent Supplement for the person concerned will be completed this week. While this review has been carried out, Rent Supplement has continued to be paid.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: If an individual wishes to participate on the jobBridge scheme their eligibility must be confirmed by this Department, and their host organisation must be an approved organisation. If an individual engages with an employer outside of the criteria for the jobBridge scheme, it may affect their entitlement to jobseeker’s allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 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 12th September 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 case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Banking (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection operates 35 bank accounts. 17 of these relate to the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) and 18 relate to the Department’s Vote 37. In addition, the Department has two accounts with the Central Bank for receipt of PRSI and Voted Exchequer Funds. The use of individual bank accounts for specific receipts and payments allows for an improved audit trail, ease...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for disability allowance was received from the person concerned on the 24 January 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s medical assessors who found that the person was not medically eligible for disability allowance. A letter issued on the 7 July 2012 refusing the allowance. If the person concerned has additional information which was not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Fund Fees (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The pension levy is a charge for a temporary period on the assets of pension funds in order to fund the Jobs Initiative introduced in 2011 and is a matter for the Minister for Finance. In a separate exercise, my Department, together with the Central Bank and the Pensions Board and with the assistance of PricewaterhouseCoopers, has conducted a review of the level of pension charges levied on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Application Numbers (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: There are currently approximately 90,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €436 million for 2012. Statistics are not available on the number of rent supplement applications received for the past two years or the outcome of those applications. Attached is a tabular statement outlining the number of rent supplement claims awarded during each of the past...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers and to ensuring that claims are processed as efficiently and expeditiously as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the number of claims received and the differing qualification criteria. Means-tested payments such as State pension (non-contributory) can require more detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 362, 366 and 369 together. The current number of Community Employment (CE) projects nationally is 1,110 as at 12th October 2012. There has been no change to the number of approved places in 2012 compared to 2011. As a result of the continuous recruitment onto CE schemes, the numbers on the CE programme will fluctuate over and under the approved 23,300...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Redeployment (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: In the period since May 2008, 1,056 staff have been assigned to my Department to fill critical vacancies and additional posts that were approved to deal with the increased volume of claims due to the downturn in the economy. The majority of these staff have been sourced through the redeployment and transfer of staff from other Government Departments. In addition, in order to begin the roll...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is fully committed to recovering 100% of overpayments. Those customers who are aware that they are being - or have been - overpaid by the Department should contact their local social welfare office immediately. An overpayment recovery plan, acceptable both to the customer and to the Department, will then be agreed. The general approach is that the recovery amount proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there were 21,674 appeals being processed on 12th October 2012, broken down as requested by scheme type in the table attached. Statistics are not maintained on a County basis. In an effort to reduce the processing times for all appeals, the Department has appointed 15 additional Appeals Officers since 2010. In addition, a further ten...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department has 7 statutory redundancy rebate applications on hand in relation to the company concerned. These claims were submitted on–line but as yet no signed forms have been received in most cases. An application is not valid until a hard copy of the signed form is received by the Department. These claims pre-date the recent announcement with respect to this company. To...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: No proceedings have been initiated against the Department of Social Protection arising out of the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (17 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Permanent and pensionable employees in the public service, other than those who were recruited after 6 April, 1995, are liable to pay social insurance contributions at modified PRSI rates. Subject to having the required number of PRSI contributions, employees who pay modified contributions may be entitled to the following payments:- (a) - widow’s/widower’s (contributory)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (17 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: On 26th July 2012, a claim for rent supplement from 16th January 2012 was submitted to my Department from the person concerned. Requests for further information in support of his were sent to him on three occasions, the most recent of which was 13th September 2012, but no response has been forthcoming. Upon receipt of the required information, the claim from the person concerned will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (17 Oct 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 — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (17 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection endeavours to make payments to its suppliers within the shortest timescale possible. The following table outlines the number of payments for the supply of goods and services issued by my Department in 2011: - No. of Payments % Within 30 days 16,794 95.22 31 - 60 772 4.38 61 - 90 35 0.19 91 - 120 14 0.08 121 days or more 22 0.13 Total...