Results 21,021-21,040 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy's second question was related to the proposed creation of 6,500 after-school child care places. I am happy to say the issue is being worked on intensely by my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. We expect to have the scheme up and running within-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I expect to have very detailed proposals some time after Easter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will understand the creation of such a system is quite demanding. We will have it up and running in the near future.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I wish to reassure the Deputy that we consult very widely with the kind of community organisations to which she referred. However, it should be borne in mind that we took over a service where we had 1,000 community welfare service officers, many of whom handled not just special payments and rent, but also social welfare assistance. As we move to the new model - this should be good news, it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Change is always difficult and it takes some time to implement. However, we are consulting the organisations and we are determined to improve the experience and the service for people, particularly with regard to helping people get back to work and to transforming the long waits people used to face for assistance.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: We must move to improve the service.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (29 Jan 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is in the process of major organisational change following the transfer of responsibility for community welfare services and FÁS employment and community employment services. We have taken approximately 1,000 community welfare service staff and 700 FÁS staff into the Department. The Department is committed to developing and implementing a case management approach...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The redeployment and use of staff is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner in conjunction with his senior management. Neither the Minister for Justice and Equality nor I have a role or function in that matter. The allocation of all resources, including civilian personnel such as interns, is a matter for Garda management. In this case, I am advised by An Garda Síochána...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Since 2009, when Deputy Willie O'Dea was a member of the Government, the number of claims has increased enormously under all headings, while numerous civil servants have taken early retirement, including very experienced staff. In that context, I undertook a complete overhaul of the system and implemented IT improvements and I am happy to say that by the end of the year the backlog of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Twenty seconds.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputy Willie O'Dea should recognise that the Department of Social Protection has completely overhauled its business systems and claims processing times have been transformed.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: We have deployed additional staff to clear the backlog. The Deputy's information dates from last August.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: We have appointed backlog teams and I am very happy to say it is working. Family income supplement claims have been transferred to Donegal for processing. On Thursday my Department is hosting a session for Members and their staff to discuss improvements in the data and information supplied to the Department to assist those with a strong claim to ensure the appropriate information is provided.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Perhaps that is due to events at the weekend.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Since it came into operation on 1 July 2011, significant progress in the JobBridge scheme saw 13,960 internships commence by 24 January 2013. There are 5,563 interns on the scheme, with a further 1,888 internships advertised on www.jobbridge.ie. The Department verifies the suitability of internships before they are advertised to ensure they will provide real work experience to enable an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department received 4,339 claims for domiciliary care allowance in 2012, with 4,680 claims processed. There are no claim backlogs in domiciliary care allowance where claims were processed within six weeks, on average, with 34% awarded the allowance. Scheme No. Claims Registered No. Decided % Awarded of claims decided Average Weeks to award Disability Allowance ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I wish to emphasise that we made changes to our business processes last year. We have virtually eliminated the backlog in applications for the invalidity and domiciliary care allowances. In the case of the disability allowance we will have all the backlog eliminated shortly. This is in the context of the volume of applications going up and a considerable number of experienced personnel...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (29 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker's benefit (JB) is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance. If a person does not qualify for JB they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. In 2012 my Department spent over €3.8 billion on the schemes and at the end of 2012 there were some 390,000 persons in receipt of payment under these schemes. Unlike other jobseekers, part-time...