Results 18,281-18,300 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Benefit Rates (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: That is a significant level of expenditure. Supports for families and children amount to more than €3 billion. Expenditure on child benefit has actually increased slightly and the Deputy should be big enough to acknowledge this. On the work of the review group-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Benefit Rates (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: -----it is good policy to examine how money is spent on children and determine whether we can target it in a way that produces better outcomes for children and families, particularly those at risk of poverty, whether at work in low income jobs or entirely dependent on social protection.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Approximately 89,000 persons are in receipt of rent supplement, for which the Government has provided €436 million in 2012. The aim of rent supplement is to provide short-term income assistance, rather than to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. Officials in the Department are reviewing the findings and recommendations made in the Focus...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The report compiled by Focus Point, an organisation of which I have long been a supporter, is important. What I said was that the sample number of cases, ten, out of a total of 89,000 was part of the organisation's caseload for the current period and very small. They were particular cases in which Focus Point had dealt with individuals with problems. None of the individuals included in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: During the years I have known people who, unfortunately, have become homeless. I know it is important to have policies that support young people as much as possible to stay in their own homes or with relatives if they are unable to stay with their parents for some reason. A structure that essentially allows young people who have left their homes to drift and move around - they may be on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: It wants to drive up rents.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The social welfare appeals office is a separate executive office with its own premises and staff. It operates independently of the Department and the Minister. The appeals process has a statutory basis in secondary legislation. As appeals officers are quasi-judicial, they are required to be free and unrestricted in discharging their functions. The high level of appeals allowed - 42% in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. To go through the statistics again, the number of cases finalised in 2009 was 13,500, but that increased to 34,000 in 2011.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Just so the Deputy understands, there has been an enormous expansion in the number of appeals. The Deputy is probably aware that in 2009 the former Fianna Fáil Government reduced the illness benefit period, which had previously been unlimited, to two years. The consequence is that many people who were in that system are now reaching the limit of their illness benefit. This is one...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I recall the Deputy’s interest in that particular case. Unfortunately, the purpose of the carer’s allowance is to provide income support for a named individual who is a full-time carer. Although I understand the point made by the Deputy, it is not technically possible to swap the allowance when a different individual takes over the role of carer. I accept that the circumstances...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Free Travel Scheme (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years of age or over. It is available to carers and to people who are in receipt of certain disability-type payments. Currently, more than 745,000 customers are eligible for free travel in those categories - retired people, carers and people who are in receipt of disability-type payments. In addition, there are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Free Travel Scheme (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I have noted how valuable free travel is in Ireland, particularly for retired people and those with serious mobility impairments. It is a considerable cause for celebration in Ireland that retired people can avail of free travel. There were requests from a number of operators that we look at elements of the scheme because it was believed there was some abuse by persons not entitled to use...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Free Travel Scheme (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: CIE is very happy to be part of the scheme which it sees as a valuable source of income. The company's income from other passengers has fallen owing to the economic collapse brought about by the bank guarantee and the difficulties in the construction sector. I am well aware that the company is anxious to continue to be part of the scheme, from which to date one company has withdrawn. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not recall using the term "headline rates of social welfare," but when I used the term "core social welfare payments" recently, I was referring to the primary weekly payments intended to enable those in receipt of them to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. The Department also makes a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly or less frequent basis. As a result of the fact...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I am sure the Deputy knows that the reason people have suffered such a fall in their living standards-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: -----is not social welfare. The country became over-reliant on the construction industry and the construction bubble collapsed. Currently almost 100,000 people are unemployed as a consequence of that collapse. The crash was not caused by the social welfare system; it was caused by the collapse of the construction industry and the bank guarantee which turned into such a disaster for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The collapse in the construction industry, largely the cause of long-term unemployment, was not the fault of the social welfare system, at the time in question or now; rather it was the consequence of greed in the economy and the inappropriate tax breaks that had created the bubble. As the Deputy rightly stated, many people who worked hard and earned good money during the boom suddenly found...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: It is when people are activated and back at work that the economy will improve for everybody. When this occurs, the social insurance fund will be restored to balance. People going back to work will pay PRSI which will improve the social insurance fund which is seriously in deficit because of the crash. It will help us to improve what we do to support those on social welfare.

Visit by Democratic Republic of Congo Delegation (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I extend a karibu to the honourable Minister from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have had the opportunity to visit the country on a number of occasions.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (13 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Community employment, CE, is the largest employment programme administered by the Department of Social Protection and forms an important pillar of the strategy to return those who are long-term unemployed to the open labour market. There are currently 23,300 places, including about 1,400 supervisory positions, available on CE and the revised budget for 2012 is about €340 million....