Results 21,241-21,260 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Qualified Adult Payments (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: A person who is in receipt of a social welfare payment may claim an increase in respect of a qualified spouse or partner (IQA). In relation to pensions, an increase for a qualified adult is normally paid where the qualified adult does not have enough contributions to claim a pension in their own right and it is usually paid on the basis of the contribution history of the primary pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (22 Jan 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 €737m 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 which JB...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Eligibility to treatment benefit is based on a person’s PRSI record and the contributions paid in the governing contribution year (GCY) relevant to their age. In order to qualify, the person concerned (who reached age 66 in 2004) must have at least 260 reckonable PRSI (Class A/E/H/P) contributions paid since first starting work, and at least 39 such contributions paid or credited in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (22 Jan 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 17th 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that date of award of payment was an issue under appeal in 72 disability allowance appeals decided by Appeals Officers during 2012, of which 33 were allowed, 8 partially allowed and 33 disallowed. Appeals Officers consider all evidence before them in coming to their decision and each appellant's appeal is decided on its own merits. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers and the comments of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal was received in that office on 15th January 2013. The case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 8th August 2012. 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 11th September 2012 advising of the decision. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that following a review of the application for State pension (contributory) in the case of the person concerned a letter of award issued on 15 January 2013 detailing his weekly entitlements. A further communication has also issued confirming the amount of arrears of pension entitlement due for the period from 30 August 2012 to 17 January 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts, for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy. Compensation is based on the worker’s length of reckonable service and reckonable weekly remuneration, subject to a ceiling of €600.00 per week. It is the responsibility of the employer to pay statutory redundancy...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and it contributes towards alleviating child poverty. Child benefit is paid to around 600,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children. The Government is conscious that child benefit, as a universal payment, can be an important source of income for all families, especially during a time of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: The statutory bodies under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Social Welfare Tribunal and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman. Citizens Information Board (CIB) The CIB operates in accordance with the Revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. I have made three appointments to the CIB since coming...

Social Welfare (Amnesty) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: It is only taken from the principal individual.

Social Welfare (Amnesty) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Yes and that might be appropriate in some circumstances, while it might not at all be appropriate in others. Members who have dealt with officials of the Department of Social Protection will know that most of them are extremely concerned with regard to the welfare of individuals. I merely wished to clarify the point. It is somewhat offensive to the majority of people that some quite...

Social Welfare (Amnesty) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: It was 38%, or €34.9 million. People often use the word "error". However, there are those who make claims at social welfare offices who do not fully reveal their personal circumstances. In some instances, this is because they are genuinely mistaken or they forget to provide some detail. In other instances, they are given the benefit of the doubt because matters are not pursued...

Social Welfare (Amnesty) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I wish to acknowledge the work of Deputy Ó Snodaigh in bringing this Bill before the House and his interest in the area of social welfare fraud. I also wish to thank all of the Deputies for some interesting contributions to the debate so far. The Bill aims to provide social welfare recipients with the opportunity to disclose voluntarily and report any irregularities in their existing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (17 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 7th of November 2011. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the ground that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this decision and the reason for it. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (17 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 18th of October 2011. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the ground that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this decision and the reason for it. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (17 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Payment of supplementary welfare allowance (mortgage interest supplement), to the person concerned, was withdrawn on the grounds that her excess weekly income is greater that the weekly mortgage interest. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers and the comments of the Deciding Officer on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (17 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: Ensuring the right person gets paid the right amount of money is a priority for my Department. Control work is an essential element of the day-to-day work of the Department and control savings are an estimate of the value of the various control activities across the different schemes in payment. The savings represent an estimate of the value of prevented future expenditure that would have...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (17 Jan 2013)

Joan Burton: It is not possible to extract the data requested in respect of the actual weekly net amount paid to persons with unique PPS numbers or the highest weekly total net amount paid to an individual PPS number by my Department in 2012 under one or more different payment headings. This is because the Department delivers a wide range of payments at weekly, monthly, annual and other intervals across a...