Results 18,961-18,980 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: In respect of the kinds of cases about which we are talking, there was a cumulative reduction of €32 per week. Carers still feel very strongly about this, just as pensioners feel strongly about Fianna Fáil's cancellation of the Christmas bonus.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Another important point on carers was raised, including by Deputy Denis Naughten. The income disregard and means test for carer's allowance to which the Deputy referred-----

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: -----are actually the most generous in the social welfare system. A couple under 66 years with two children and earning a joint annual income of up to €35,400 can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance. Such a couple earning up to €60,000 per year can still qualify for the minimum rate of carer's allowance. The Deputy did not mention that carers who work fewer than...

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: ------and payments as a result of fraud and abuse. They were recoverable, as the Deputy knows, at a rate of only €2 a week.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Up to €350 million in overpayments are due to my Department. Deputy Patrick Nulty should note this is relevant because, if we can recover the bulk of those payments, it will take the pressure-----

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Some Members were unhappy last night with the idea that we would recover, at a rate of more than €2 a week, payments obtained in a fraudulent way.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: If the Deputy has a problem with this, he should note it is one of the reforms introduced in the Bill that is extremely important. It will actually provide us with more resources. I know Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett has a particular problem with recovering payments made as a consequence of fraud.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: We are going to recover the money and in recovering it we will make more funds available for those who rely for their income on the Department of Social Protection. The sum of €20.2 billion provided by taxpayers and those who lend us the funds represents 37% of all Government spending. For those who are concerned about social solidarity in Ireland, €20.2 billion is a very large...

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: May I reply briefly to Deputy Michael Lowry?

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: This year the Government increased spending on carers by €20 million.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: In the Estimates for next year I have provided for an increase in spending.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Last week, on the morning of the budget, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin Deputies-----

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not think members of the Technical Group were there, but Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin Deputies supported an increase of €680 million in a Supplementary Estimate to increase the overall social welfare spend in 2012 to fund payments made to persons such as carers. I thanked Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin for supporting the Estimate. The Estimate for next year means that...

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I am entitled to respond to Deputy Michael Lowry.

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Poverty (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: A social impact analysis of the main personal welfare and taxation elements of Budget 2013 is currently being finalised by the Department. This analysis will include the impact on children.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on the 29th November 2012 that her appeal had been successful. Payment of the allowance, along with any arrears due, will issue on the 18th December 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Application Numbers (13 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. 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: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Under Social Welfare legislation any person who is a full-time student does not qualify for supplementary welfare allowance. As the person concerned has now ceased full-time education, his supplementary welfare allowance application has been approved and payments have issued to him.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (13 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made 4 claims for jobseeker’s allowance; on 4th October 2010, on 24th March 2011, on 9th December 2011 and on 16th July 2012. His claims dated 4th October 2010 and 24th March 2011 were disallowed by his Social Welfare Local Office because he did not provide documentary evidence to show that he was genuinely seeking employment. The person concerned appealed...