Results 18,701-18,720 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The current fuel allowance season commenced in October this year and will run for 26 weeks until April 2013. My Department will spend almost €215 million in 2012 on the scheme benefitting almost 400,000 people. The purpose of the fuel allowance scheme is to assist pensioners and householders on long-term social welfare payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: No new State agency or task force has been set up under the aegis of the Department in 2012. I established the Migrant Consultative Forum on 3 October 2012 to examine issues of particular concern to migrant workers. The administrative support required to facilitate the work of the Forum is being provided from within the Department’s existing resources. No new employees were engaged.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government’s approach to tackling the unemployment problem is to focus resources on those individuals most at risk of long-term unemployment. Up to the recent past, this has been based on identifying all persons who remain on the Live Register for three months after first signing on, and referring them for more intensive job-search assistance and guidance. Increasingly, referral...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has yet to make an application to the Department for rent supplement. However, she is currently in receipt of Mortgage Interest Supplement and would not be in a position to receive both entitlements simultaneously.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has made an application for Jobseeker’s Allowance. The payment of Jobseeker’s Allowance is subject to a means test. His application has been forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation. The Inspector has been in contact with him and is currently awaiting clarification regarding the disposal of monies previously held by the applicant following...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 2nd October 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after the 5th November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. An in-depth business process improvement (BPI) project has recently been completed for the FIS scheme. This project focused on optimising output, improving customer service and the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence, including that adduced at oral hearing, allowed the appeal of the person concerned who has been notified of the decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 19th October 2012 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: In September I announced a three-phased approach to establishing a comprehensive Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service to provide the necessary supports to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two elements involve the enhancement of the website and the establishment of a Mortgage Arrears...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Where travel costs are non-recurring, the SWA scheme provides for exceptional needs payments to be made to assist with essential, once-off expenditure in exceptional circumstances to people on social welfare or Health Service Executive payments. There is no automatic entitlement to such payments. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Adviser Pay (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: There is currently one special adviser employed in my Department since July 2011. The person in question is in receipt of a salary of €127,796 per annum.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will understand that I am not in a position to comment directly on any ongoing discussions or negotiations being undertaken by the trustees of private pension schemes with employers, employees and their union representatives. However, it is acknowledged there are significant structural and affordability problems with defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in Ireland due to a range...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received a claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned on 16 March 2011. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Following a review of the person’s disability allowance claim he was assessed with means from capital owned by his partner which had not been disclosed. When this means was assessed it was found the person was entitled to a reduced weekly rate of disability allowance of €13.00 per week. The person was informed of this by letter on 19 September 2012. The person has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (29 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's schemes provide income support for people who are seeking their first job or have lost work and are seeking alternative employment. A fundamental qualifying condition for jobseeker’s allowance is that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. A person must be available for work in respect of each day for which s/he declares that s/he is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (29 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received an application for invalidity pension for the person concerned on 27 September 2011. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (29 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned had €20 deducted from two of her recent jobseeker’s allowance payments in order to recover an overpayment of Illness Benefit. When it came to light that the person concerned had not agreed to this recovery rate the amount was reduced to €2 per week.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (29 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 12th March 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (29 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 19th July 2011. 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 17th of May 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in...