Results 20,241-20,260 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Reform (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: General Register Office (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The provisions allowing for the amendment of entries in the register of births are contained in the Civil Registration Act 2004. Section 63 of the Act allows for the correction of clerical or factual errors in an entry, upon application to a Superintendent Registrar where satisfactory evidence that an error has occurred is presented by the applicant. A person may also apply to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: As part of the European Council agreement on the 2014 – 2020 Multi Annual Financial Framework of 7-8 February, it was decided to provide EUR 6 billion for a new Youth Employment Initiative for regions with youth unemployment above 25%. This funding will consist of EUR 3 billion from the European Social Fund and an additional EUR 3 billion from a new Youth Employment budget line. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 308 and 341 to 343, inclusive, together. Work on the issue of youth unemployment arising from both the June 2011 Council conclusions and the Europe 2020 Strategy is now reflected both in the work of the Commission in presenting the guarantee recommendation in December 2012, and the work of the Irish Presidency in negotiating the recommendation through the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (26 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 13th March 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: Mortgage Interest Supplement Eligibility (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: PRSI credited contributions are an integral part of the social insurance system. For the most part they are linked to having an underlying entitlement to a social welfare payment while temporarily detached from the labour force or having entitlement to statutory leave e.g. parental or maternity leave. The primary purpose of PRSI credits is to secure social welfare benefits and pensions of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. Amongst the supports available are the back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) and the part time education option (PTEO) for persons who will to avail of a course of education. These supports may be...

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

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 12th February 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 20th March 2013 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds the applicant may...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The current total of 424,617 persons on the Live Register includes over 80,000 casual workers in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or jobseeker’s benefit. It should be noted that the great majority of people on the Live Register have a strong financial incentive to work and significant numbers leave the register each year for employment. Indeed, for many unemployed people,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (26 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 22nd January 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: Proposed Legislation (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.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Reform (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: There is no current application from the person concerned for a dietary allowance registered with this department. A previous application for a dietary allowance was refused and the decision upheld on 16 November 2012. The person concerned can make an application for an exceptional needs payment and any such application will be considered based on his circumstances.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 20th March 2013 and the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer decision when the appeal has been determined. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit until 3 November 2012 when the entitlement expired.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Sick Pay Eligibility (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Community Employment (CE) Operating Guidelines allow the grant aiding of participant wages by the Department to the CE Sponsor organisation/employer for up to 56 working hours of medically certified sick leave (the hourly equivalent of 7 full days). Only when that 56 hour threshold has been exhausted is grant aid for wages suspended for any further certified sick leave by that participant...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The social welfare system already provides for continued payment of invalidity pension for 6 weeks after the death of an invalidity pensioner where the deceased claimant was in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult, for a surviving spouse/civil partner/cohabitant.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (26 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned can request a review of the case with the local office if there is a change in circumstances.