Results 20,221-20,240 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (28 Mar 2013)

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 on 20 March 2013. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 28 February 2013, 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: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Details of the total cost of fees, salaries and other remuneration paid to members of the Boards for years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are set out in the table below: ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned collected his first basic supplementary payment on 21 December 2012 covering the period 18 December 2012 to 2 January 2013 but he did not collect the following four payments. Entitlement to arrears of jobseekers allowance will be re-examined when the person concerned attends the social welfare local office to explain why he did not collect the weekly basic supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant Eligibility (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection operate a bereavement grant scheme. The payment is a once-off payment paid to the next of kin or the individual responsible for payment of the funeral bill of the deceased. Eligibility is based on social insurance contributions paid by the deceased (or his/her spouse). For the Deputy’s information, I would point out that there is a dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: My understanding is that the person concerned has made an application for a position on the rural social scheme but has not yet taken up commenced employment. Should the person be selected, the rate of payment will be calculated on the basis of their existing rate of social welfare payment plus €20 per week. The basis of calculation differs from the position prior to the 17th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (27 Mar 2013)

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 a summary decision. Following the submission of additional evidence the Appeals Officer has agreed to set aside her original decision and has re-opened the appeal by way of granting an oral hearing. The person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 19th March 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 will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Application Numbers (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. There are approximately 14,000 mortgage interest supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €42 million for in 2013. Information is not available on the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Payments (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The minimum contribution that the person concerned must make towards their Mortgage Interest is €32 per week. As the minimum contribution payable by the person, exceeds the current weekly amount of mortgage interest payable, I regret to advise you that the person concerned has no entitlement to the Mortgage Interest Supplement at this point in time.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: In March 2010 the Government decided that the employment and community services programmes of FÁS should transfer to the Department of Social Protection. All staff in FÁS assigned to the transferring activities transferred to the Department. In relation to central and regional support staff, FÁS invited staff from these functional areas to express an interest in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Numbers (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Non-Irish citizens made up 18% of the Live Register in February 2013 (76,829 persons). The absolute numbers of non-Irish citizens on the Live Register has declined from a peak of 81,266 in February 2010 (a fall of 5% compared to a fall of 1% of Irish citizens on the Live Register over the same period). Non-Irish citizens made up 18% of the total persons at work, according to the Census in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Further to my response to Parliamentary Question Ref. No. 24048/12 on 15 May 2012, I am advised that the person concerned has not submitted additional or supplementary medical evidence in support of his application. The Deciding Officer’s formal decision disallowing invalidity pension to the person concerned issued in October 2011. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Transport (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: On taking office the Government reformed the transport arrangements for Ministers which has reduced the costs of travel. The Government decision involved confining the use of State cars from 1 May 2011. As a result, the average cost of providing transport has been reduced by 65% - from an average cost of €280,000 per minister in 2010 to a current annual estimate of €100,000 per...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Application Numbers (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together. A major initiative to eliminate FIS backlogs has been in progress since November 2012 and is due to complete at the end of this month. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after 5 November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. At the beginning of November 2012, there were over 15,000 new and renewal claims awaiting...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Application Numbers (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 179 together. The DA backlogs are currently being eliminated, following the roll-out of a new service delivery modernisation system and a business process improvement initiative. The target is to have the backlog of disability allowance applications processed by the end of Quarter 2 2013. At present, there are approximately 6,700 applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Application Numbers (27 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. A major initiative to eliminate carer’s allowance backlogs has been in progress and is due to complete at the end of this month. Back at the beginning of September 2012, when the initiative started, there were over 10,000 carer’s allowance applications awaiting decision. At present, carer’s allowance applications...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permit Application Numbers (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I expect that the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill will be published in May 2013. You will appreciate that the issue of how the assets of a pension scheme are distributed on the wind-up of a pension scheme is a sensitive and complex issue and one which requires careful consideration before any change is made to the current provisions. In this regard, my officials have completed a detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 5th February 2013. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the person concerned. It can take up to 8 weeks to process an application for DCA.