Results 19,021-19,040 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 339, 340, 343, 347 and 348 together. The current average processing times for appeals in relation to Farm Assist, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension are provided in the attached table. Appeals processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The processing times of individual invalidity pension claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the qualifying criteria. In addition, factors outside the Department’s control can have an impact, for example, insufficient information received from claimants at time of application and delays in claimants furnishing the information requested. At present...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: In Germany, the most common kind of vocational training is referred to as the dual system, which consists of practical vocational training given at work in a company or organisation, backed up by theoretical training and general education provided in vocational training schools which are generally attended one or two days a week. JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, provides...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (18 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 11th June 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. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 07...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Applications (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The average processing time for Farm Assist claims which were decided in November 2012 was 10 weeks. Farm Assist claims are often complex and require detailed investigation and verification of circumstances. Every effort is made to ensure that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I acknowledge that the time taken to process carer’s allowance claims at present is not satisfactory but I am satisfied that the Department is taking appropriate action to resolve the situation. Carer’s allowance section has recently completed a major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes applications from clients for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Application Numbers (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 361 together. Support for farmers on low incomes is available through the farm assist scheme. This means-tested payment is similar to the jobseeker’s allowance scheme, on which it is based. The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (18 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 01st June 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. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 05th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 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 05th 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm, in accordance with routine procedure, that the carer’s allowance of the person in question was reviewed when the caree turned 16 years of age. The payment was disallowed on the ground that, based upon the medical evidence supplied by the person in question, the caree does not satisfy the statutory conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (18 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 has been notified of the Appeals Officer decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Where a person was in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance and had then participated in the TÚS scheme and where s/he subsequently applies for jobseeker’s allowance immediately on completing TÚS, payment of jobseeker’s allowance will resume from the first day subject to all of the qualifying conditions continuing to be met. Payment is made from the first day in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 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. Following a review of continued entitlement, invalidity pension was stopped for the person in question on 27 January 2010, on the basis that the recipient was working without permission. An overpayment was assessed for the period 19...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: As part of the review process of the rent supplement application the person concerned has been asked to submit documentation and upon receipt of the requested documentation the review will be processed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 8th September 2011. This application was refused on the grounds that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance and that full-time care was not being supplied in this case. A letter issued on the 4th of July 2012 refusing the allowance....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Services (18 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 total number of persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 23rd January 2012. The person concerned was refused carers allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. He was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government is very aware of the serious funding challenge facing pension schemes. There are significant structural and affordability problems with defined benefit (DB) pension schemes due to a range of factors such as an under-estimation of longevity, poor investment decisions and the impact of the downturn in financial markets. The investment losses in Ireland were the highest in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: Raising State pension age and the abolition of the State pension (transition) is a necessary step in ensuring the sustainability of pensions into the future. The population share of those aged 65 and over is expected to more than double between now and 2051, from 11% to approximately 23% in 2050. In contrast, the working age to pensioner ratio is projected to decline gradually from 5.3 /1 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (18 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme remains an attractive scheme for the unemployed who wish to further their education. A person entering BTEA with an entitlement to the maximum jobseekers personal rate of €188 per week may retain this rate while pursuing a course. A significant majority of those entering BTEA do so on the maximum personal rate of payment. In addition, all...