Results 20,421-20,440 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: TÚS Scheme (6 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Eligibility for supervisory/team leader positions on Tús is the same for participants, i.e. it is confined to those on the Live Register for at least 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance at the time of application. Eligibility for the Tús Supervisor/Team Leader position also includes person who are engaged on Tús at the time of application. A person on a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (6 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker’s allowance payments to the person concerned have been suspended from 20 February as he failed to sign, as required, on that date. A decision on future payments, including any arrears due, cannot be made until he presents himself at his local social welfare office.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (6 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 22 September 2012. The person submitted further medical evidence in support of her claim and a review of her application is underway. Once a decision is made on this review, the person in question will be notified of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (6 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 22 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 make...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 15 May 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s medical assessors who was of the opinion that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on 14 October 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (6 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 22 February 2013. On completion of the necessary investigations a decision will be made and the person will be notified directly of the outcome. In addition, as this person has a PRSI record, an application form for invalidity pension has been posted to him today. He should complete this form and return it as soon as possible if he...

Other Questions: After School Support Services (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I am very conscious that the forthcoming changes to the one-parent family payment scheme highlight the need for additional supports for lone parents that will be affected by these reforms. In particular there will be a need for additional after-school child care provision so as to assist former one-parent family payment recipients make their transition into employment or other activation...

Other Questions: After School Support Services (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: It has taken a lot of work by dedicated officials to put the scheme together. As we roll it out on a pilot basis, it will be of great interest. Going around the country and visiting CE schemes, the whole area of personal care, be it in child care or older people, is important and significant employment opportunities exist there for people who are qualified at the relevant FETAC level. The...

Other Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: With regard to the questions of Deputies Ó Snodaigh and O'Dea, all the funding amounts must be finalised. In general, the funds would be within the envelope of European social funds and cohesion funds. I cannot give the Deputies a final figure except to say that President Von Rompuy's indicative figure was €6 billion, €3 billion of which was in the context of current...

Other Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: In facing into the EU Presidency and considering the matter for almost two years I, as Minister for Social Protection, identified this as a critical area. In Ireland the unemployment rate has moved down but it is still at a very high level. In the case of young people throughout Europe, their rate is almost double the rate of unemployment for those over 25. With young people new to the...

Other Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: With regard to additional provisions this year, the Deputy may have heard a Government initiative being advertised in the media. The Momentum programme is a scheme for education and training interventions, with training targeted at areas where employment is available. A review was done for my Department of the various schemes which it supports, and it indicates that we are spending...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I gave the Deputy the amount that is provided for in the Estimate, which is €47 million. That is a significant amount. In 2011, approximately 49,000 people got assistance with clothing. In 2012, a total of 51,914 people got such assistance. I do not fully understand the reason the Deputy suggests that there is no provision now because there is a provision in the Estimates for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: -----for clothing and footwear, and 49,000 payments were made in the previous year.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I do not understand the basis of Deputy Ó Snodaigh’s argument that payments on the ground have stopped. I am sorry, but that is not true.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: On a point of information-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: -----they are the figures for last year.

Other Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 99 together. Research evidence shows that early and prolonged periods of unemployment during a person’s lifetime can have a permanent scarring effect on that person’s capacity to improve his or her standard of living. This is a particular problem during an economic downturn as young people tend to suffer the impact of job losses more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy correctly stated, community welfare officers have discretion. Since entering the Department of Social Protection, they have been working to share and collate data on how these payments are dealt with across the country. In our discussion last year, I told the Deputy of my surprise that there was an average payment of €300 in respect of holy communions in some areas such...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code Reform (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: To correct what the Deputy said, if someone receives a lone parent payment that commenced before 27 April 2011, on 4 July 2013 the age threshold reduces to 17 years of age. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, Deputy O'Dea seems to want lone parents to stay as a special category. I see parents as parents and we should refer to all parents and children, whether parents are in a formal marriage...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code Reform (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy knows many people who have been in this situation and, as the children grow up, people are extremely anxious to get back to well-remunerated employment and to become financially independent. People often say, probably to Deputy O'Dea but certainly to me, that they want to be able to give up their book. I want to see lone parents in this country becoming independent.