Results 18,841-18,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: As part of the appeals process, the department referred all the medical evidence received to a second medical assessor for review. The medical assessor was of the opinion, based on all the information supplied, that the person concerned was not medically suitable for disability allowance. The person’s appeal has now been referred to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The National Internship Scheme was launched on 1st July 2011. It provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals on the Live Register, in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors Its aim is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience and provide the opportunity to gain valuable...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (11 Dec 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’s decision on 10th December 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (11 Dec 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 24 May 2011. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of her claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion that...

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

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative employment. It is a fundamental qualifying condition for these schemes that a person must be available for full-time work. A person is entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance where they are fully unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after the 5th November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. There are currently 293 new applications and 94 renewal applications...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Appeals (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 28th November 2012, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17th September 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 11th of October 2012. On completion of all the necessary investigations in relation to this application, a decision will issue directly to the person in question.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 4th December 2012, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

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

Joan Burton: Jobseeker’s benefit is paid at the full standard rate to qualified claimants regardless of age and without a means test, subject to the normal rules of the Jobseeker’s Benefit scheme. If a claimant is still unemployed when they exhaust their entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit, they may claim Jobseeker’s Allowance which is subject to a means test. People...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 13th September 2012 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for...

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

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 22nd of June 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: Child Benefit Payments (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Child Benefit is paid to around 608,000 families in respect of some 1.16 million children. It is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty. It is expected that some €2 billion will be spent on Child Benefit in 2012. Child benefit is paid to almost 141,000 families in which there are three or more...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for people with families who are on low earnings. The person concerned applied to have their FIS renewed from 29 November 2012. As part of the process to establish household means for FIS purposes in this case, it was referred to the social welfare inspectorate to confirm details of income. The person concerned was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: For many years the Department has contracted extensively with the private sector for the delivery of a variety of services where this provides better value for State money than the internal provision of services. These contracts range from the provision of scheme payments and employment services to information technology and medical certification. They also include cleaning, waste management,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Section 110 (1) (b) of The Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 provides that a self-employed contributor shall not be regarded as satisfying the qualifying conditions for State pension (contributory) unless all self-employed PRSI contributions payable by him or her have been paid. The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 22 March 2012. His application was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grants (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The respite care grant (RCG) is an annual payment made automatically to people in receipt of carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit, or domiciliary care allowance from my Department. Other people who are not in receipt of one of these payments, but who are providing full time care and attention can also apply for the grant via separate application. The RCG is paid automatically on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned had been asked to provide information in relation to a change of circumstances that had not previously been communicated to the Department. The Department has since carried out a reassessment in relation to the rent supplement entitlement of the person concerned. The correct rent level of rent supplement is now in payment. An Exceptional Needs Payment has been issued...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (11 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Currently 10 staff are assigned to the rent supplement processing hub in Dublin Central division. This staffing figure is based on incremental assignments to the area being realisable on foot of broader re-structuring in the division. The unit has received approximately 1,427 new cases from opening in March until the end of November 2012. There has been a significant improvement in waiting...