Results 20,761-20,780 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (13 Feb 2013)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: There was a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals from 2009 to date which has placed extraordinary pressure on the SWAO. Significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, improving business processes and implementing a new operating model. There...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (13 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: Kilbarrack local office is one of a number of the Department’s offices that are currently being surveyed with a view to introducing the Intreo model of service delivery in the future. In the meantime, work is underway to introduce a greater range of services at the office, including the Public Service Card registration.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (13 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: Garda vetting only applies to Employment Programme applicants including Community Employment who may come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults while working on a scheme. The definition of a “child” is a person under the age of 18 years, as per the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. The Act’s definition of a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform have informed FÁS and subsequently this Department that any provision for pensions for Community Employment (CE) supervisors would have to be financed from the existing financial resource allocation. Additional funding will not be available to cover this item. That has left the Department in the position that it would have to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (13 Feb 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. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 395 together. In September 2012 I announced a three-phased approach to establishing a comprehensive Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service, to provide the necessary supports to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two elements involve the enhancement of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: In general unearned income including rental income is subject to PRSI along with tax and USC. The rules which apply to the value of rental income for taxation purposes also apply to PRSI, with the exception of “capital allowances” which are not granted.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: As part of my preparations for Budget 2013, I held a pre-Budget forum on 12 October 2012. I invited thirty five community and voluntary groups to the forum, including the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP). I listened carefully to their views and proposals in relation to Budget 2013 and the issues affecting the people who use their services. In addition, the SVP is a member of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that Ireland now faces and it is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues. To this end, and in line with commitments contained in the Programme for Government, I established the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare in 2011, with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on the 2nd October 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who considered that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 8th November 2012 outlining the decision to refuse the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case on 20th February 2013. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal her case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. I am informed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 406 together. Supplementary welfare allowance (SWA), including rent supplement, is not normally payable where a recipient is outside the State. Recipients of SWA, including rent supplement, are advised to contact the officer dealing with their claim where there is a change in their circumstances. Information on the Department’s website states...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been advised by her Social Welfare Local Office on a number of occasions of her obligations regarding actively seeking employment as a condition of receiving jobseeker’s payments. She failed to attend two scheduled appointments with her Case Officer under the Pathways to Work programme on 18th and 24th January 2012. As a consequence she was deemed to be in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. 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. Following the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, a rules based standard for establishing and authenticating an individual’s identity for the purposes of access to public services. This programme of work, which is known as the Standard Authentication Framework Environment or SAFE for short, also provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in full-time education and is therefore unavailable for full-time employment. As such he does not meet the criteria to qualify for a jobseeker’s payment or any other financial support from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in full-time education and is therefore unavailable for full-time employment. As such he does not meet the criteria to qualify for a jobseeker’s payment or any other financial support from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Joan Burton: This department received a claim for invalidity pension from the person concerned on 30 March 2012. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion, based on the evidence provided, that the person concerned is not eligible for invalidity pension as he does not satisfy the medical criteria. The application for...