Results 21,781-21,800 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department has a target of reviewing 985,000 individual welfare claims and achieving €645 million in control savings for 2012. Up to the end of October 2012, almost €560 million in estimated control savings has been reported and over 1 million reviews have been carried out across all schemes. The table below gives a breakdown of the control savings and reviews recorded on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation on 1st July 2011. Over 12,300 internships have commenced to date with over 5,400 participants currently on an internship as at 22nd November 2012 and over 2,000 internship opportunities advertised on . An independent evaluation of the Scheme conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants found that 52% of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 to 288, inclusive, together. At the end of October there were 56,940 persons under the age of 25 in receipt of jobseekers allowance, and 47,855 of these persons were in receipt of the rates mentioned by the Deputy. The remainder of the jobseeker's allowance recipients (9,085) are in receipt of a weekly rate that reflects either their means or family...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together. The total number of persons who are under 25 years of age and are in receipt of jobseekers allowance is 56,940 while the total number of persons who are under 25 years of age and in receipt of jobseekers benefit is 5,421. One third of under-25s on the Live Register have been signing on for less than six months while just over a quarter...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The correct level of mortgage interest relief payable to the person concerned is €125.45 per month. Her weekly illness benefit payment of €188 and the minimum contribution of €30 per week payable by a single person were taken into account in calculating the amount payable.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 15th October 2012 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker’s allowance application of the person concerned is being processed at present and she will be informed of the outcome once a decision has been made.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 15th May 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The number of one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients stood at 89,510 on 28 November 2012. Some 49% of OFP recipients are presently in employment. As you are aware, the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012, introduced changes to the age of the youngest child at which the payment ceases. These changes are being brought in on a phased basis between 2012 and 2015 and it is estimated will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 301 together. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to people who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. There are currently in excess of 745,000 customers eligible for free travel and when spousal and companion passes are taken into account, there are over 1.1...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3rd October 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The changes to the structure of the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme and to the age of the youngest child at which the payment ceases are contained in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012, which was enacted on 1 May 2012. These changes are being brought in over time between now and 2015. An Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) on School-Age Child Care has been established to define the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget Consultation Process (4 Dec 2012)

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 and listened carefully to their views and proposals in relation to the forthcoming Budget. These organisations play a key advocacy role in our society and the payments made by my Department play a vital role in providing income support...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 06th September 2012 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: 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 and at present is limited to individuals who are in receipt of a Live claim (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are signing on for credits for at least...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Pathways to Work policy and the establishment of the new integrated National Employment and Entitlement Service (Intreo) service will transform the nature and level of engagement between our employment and income support services and the unemployed, including those under the age of 25. The policy is underpinned by five core strands which reflect the new integrated employment and income...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programme (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: The Work Placement Programme was announced by Government on 27th May 2009. In June 2009, it was rolled out nationally. Under the programme, organisations apply to offer ‘work placements’ for a duration of two to nine months, within their organisations, and those who are unemployed can apply for these placements. Certain categories of unemployed can retain their social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: There are a two main incentives available to employers to hire unemployed people in receipt of social welfare benefits, namely the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist Scheme. (used by 794 employers in 2011). In addition, the National Internship Scheme (JobBridge) supports the provision of internship places for unemployed people, with approximately 3,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 13th of April 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The average time taken to award a carer’s allowance application is 25 weeks, however individual cases may...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (4 Dec 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 27th March 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s medical assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on the 21st August 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in...