Results 20,081-20,100 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Adviser Pay (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: It is proposed to take Question Nos. 155 and 156 together. The names and salaries of the Special Advisors I have appointed in the Department of Social Protection are shown in the following table. Title Name Annual Salary Press Advisor Kathleen  Barrington  €86,604 - €89,898 Press Advisor Paul O’Brien €80,051 Special Advisor Edward Brophy...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Bodies Establishment (18 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: No new State body has been established under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection since February 2011. There are no plans to establish any new public body at present.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned met with her Case Officer on Friday 12th April 2013 and re-engaged in the Pathways to Work Programme. As a result, payment of full-rate jobseeker’s benefit has been restored from Monday 15th April 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Part-time fire-fighters are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. However, taking account of the unusual circumstances of these workers and general efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18th February 2013. 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: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (17 Apr 2013)

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: Pensions Legislation (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 147 together. As you are aware, there are significant structural and affordability problems with DB schemes due to a range of factors such as an underestimation of longevity, poor investment decisions and the impact of the downturn in financial markets. A range of both administrative and legislative measures have been put in place since 2008 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied to have their family income supplement (FIS) renewed with effect from 5th February 2013. FIS is payable at 60% of the difference between the prescribed income level and the weekly family income. For a family with 2 children, as in the case concerned, the prescribed income limit is €602.00 weekly. A minimum payment of €20 per week is made to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together. The Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment is designed to provide cash income for employees with families who are on low earnings An integral part of the FIS scheme is that once the level of payment is determined, it continues to be payable at that rate for a period of 52 weeks, provided that the person remains in full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation. As at 11th April, 2013, 16,326 internships have commenced with 5,944 participants on an internship and 2,410 internship opportunities advertised on www.jobbridge.ie as of that date. In the context of Budget 2013, the Government increased the number of JobBridge places from 6,000 to 8,500. Accordingly, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection currently operates a number of activation schemes to support people in getting back to work or back into education. Customers who were previously in receipt of fuel allowance and/or household benefits may retain these secondary benefits if they are taking part in programmes such as back to work enterprise allowance, rural social scheme, tús,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Schemes (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for interim measures to support the unemployed and keep jobseekers close to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Expenditure (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €47.6 million for the scheme in 2013. There is no automatic entitlement to a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (17 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th February 2013. 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: Child Poverty (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by this Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Numbers (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 565 and 566 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not available in the format requested. However, the tabular statement below details the number of persons in Counties Longford and Westmeath who were on the live register at the end of February 2013, indicating the percentage of persons in each of these counties on the total live register at...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The fuel allowance is a means tested weekly payment of €20 available for people on long term welfare schemes, including State pension, disability allowance, one-parent family payment and jobseeker’s allowance (after 15 months); it is currently paid for 26 weeks from October to April each year. The scheme is available to approximately 400,000 customers and will cost an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 15th February 2013. 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. When received, the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The United Kingdom winter fuel payment is an annual tax-free payment made to eligible people to help towards their winter heating costs. It is a lump sum and in most cases is paid automatically, but some people need to claim. The total amount of winter fuel payment can vary from £100 - £300 sterling having regard to age and household composition. Most payments are made between...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Remuneration (16 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: At the end of March 2013, there were 7,109 staff on the Department’s payroll. Since July 2009 hard copy payslips have not been issued to staff in the Department except for those people on extended leave such as long term sick or maternity leave. Staff access their payslips via an online payroll system which is accessible via the Department’s intranet. An average of 597...