Results 20,481-20,500 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Review (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The review of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme, which I requested in May 2012, was completed by the end of December 2012, on schedule. The report is with me and is currently receiving consideration and will be published in due course. It is estimated that expenditure on the DCA scheme in 2013 will be circa €101m with a further €37m on the associated Respite Care...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: When spousal and companion passes are taken into account, there are over 1.1 million customers with some free travel eligibility and there are currently in excess of 745,000 customers with direct eligibility to the free travel scheme. Expenditure on this scheme was frozen at 2010 levels by the last Government leaving a provision for the scheme in 2013 of €77 million. Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The CE scheme aims to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. Community and voluntary organisations sponsor...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Recruitment (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department’s Employment Control Framework (ECF) figure, set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) on the total number of full time equivalent posts was set at 6,610 for 2012 and for 2013 is 6,419, which sees the Department having to reduce its number of posts by 191 this year. At any given time, vacancies within my Department occur and change, with staff being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2012, introduced changes to the structure of the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme and reduced the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which the payment ceases. From 3 May 2012, the age of the youngest child is being reduced on a phased basis and will be 7 from 2014 for individuals who first claimed OFP since May of last year and from 2015 for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Cessation (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Government, as part of the Budget package for 2013 announced a number of initiatives focused on providing work opportunities for those currently unemployed. The key elements of this package are to add an additional 2,500 places to JobBridge; 2,000 places on community employment; 2,500 to Tús – the community work placement initiative - and the development of a new initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Insurance Fund (SIF) is a pay-as-you-go social insurance scheme that is financed by contributions from employees, employers, the self-employed and by a contribution or ‘subvention’ from the Exchequer when the cost of the benefits paid from the Fund exceeds the contribution income. The Exchequer is the residual financier of the Fund and such subventions were the norm...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Placements (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will be aware, JobBridge, the National Internship scheme, provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. It is targeted at individuals who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Recruitment (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection operates within the employment control framework set by Government for the public service which imposes an overall staffing ceiling for the Department on an annual basis. Whilst it is a Government objective, as part of its public service reform programme, to reduce the numbers working in the public service, the requirement to reduce staffing levels within...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Funding (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will be aware, JobBridge, the National Internship scheme, provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. It is targeted at individuals who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: As the person concerned is in receipt of one parent family payment she does not have an entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (5 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 21 January 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (5 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: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The State pension (transition) (SPT) is paid for a maximum of 12 months and is currently available to people who retire from work on reaching age 65 provided they satisfy the necessary PRSI contributions. This will change in 2014 as provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011. SPT will cease to be paid from 2014 which will standardise the payment of State pension at age 66. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker's benefit (JB) is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). If a person does not qualify for JB they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. In 2012 my Department spent some €737 million on the scheme and at the end of 2012 there were some 85,000 persons in receipt of a JB payment. Budget 2013 provided that the duration for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (5 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 2 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 appeal in question will be referred in to an Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, including that adduced at oral hearing, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (5 Mar 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Domiciliary Care Allowance appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 November 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. When received, the appeal in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (5 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 31 January 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (5 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 28 November 2012. 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 case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a...