Results 21,841-21,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence, including that adduced at oral hearing, allowed the appeal of the person concerned who has been notified of the decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 19th October 2012 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: In September 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 the website and the establishment of a Mortgage Arrears...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Where travel costs are non-recurring, the SWA scheme provides for exceptional needs payments to be made to assist with essential, once-off expenditure in exceptional circumstances to people on social welfare or Health Service Executive payments. There is no automatic entitlement to such payments. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Adviser Pay (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: There is currently one special adviser employed in my Department since July 2011. The person in question is in receipt of a salary of €127,796 per annum.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will understand that I am not in a position to comment directly on any ongoing discussions or negotiations being undertaken by the trustees of private pension schemes with employers, employees and their union representatives. However, it is acknowledged there are significant structural and affordability problems with defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in Ireland due to a range...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received a claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned on 16 March 2011. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Following a review of the person’s disability allowance claim he was assessed with means from capital owned by his partner which had not been disclosed. When this means was assessed it was found the person was entitled to a reduced weekly rate of disability allowance of €13.00 per week. The person was informed of this by letter on 19 September 2012. The person has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Payments (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Revised Estimates for the Department of Social Protection provide for expenditure in 2012 of nearly €20.55 billion. These include expenditure of just over €183million on the back to education allowance including some €8 million on the cost of education allowance. The Government is considering the appropriate level of expenditure on the wide variety and schemes and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. Past experience suggests that youth unemployment, which tends to rise relatively rapidly in a downturn, can be expected to fall relatively rapidly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: An Post currently issues payments on behalf of the Department in respect of various social welfare schemes. The contract under which An Post provides this service will expire on 31st December 2013. The award of public sector contracts with a significant financial value is subject to various EU directives and are usually awarded following a competitive tender process. This ensures that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 17th February 2012. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the basis that they were deemed not to be habitually resident in the State. A letter issued on the 7th November 2012 notifying the person concerned of the decision, the reasons for it, and of his...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a habitual residency condition and a means test, has applied for any other benefit or allowances s/he may be entitled to, has registered for employment, unless they have a physical or mental disability, and can prove unemployment may qualify for a weekly payment of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA). With the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after the 5th November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. There are 266 new family income supplement (FIS) applications and 294 renewal applications from the County of Louth pending decision since before 5th November. Almost all of these cases date...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied to have his FIS payment renewed from 30th August 2012. His average earnings were calculated having regard to his earnings in the year ended 31 December 2011, the latest available P60. His most recent payslips were also examined but these gave him a higher weekly net income than his P60. The income from his P60 was used in his FIS assessment as this gave a more...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Application Numbers (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356, 393 and 424 together. The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after the 5th November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. An in-depth business process improvement (BPI) project has recently been completed for the FIS scheme. This project focused on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Rates (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. The estimated expenditure on child benefit for 2012 is around €2 billion and it is paid to around...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Bodies (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: Donegal Citizens Information Service (CIS) is funded through the Citizens Information Board to provide information, advice and advocacy services to the citizens of Co. Donegal. There are offices in Ballyshannon, Letterkenny, Buncrana, Carndonagh, Dungloe, Milford and Donegal Town as well as a number of outreach services. Between 2002 and February 2011, a full time information officer...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (27 Nov 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 01st November 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 Welfare and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (27 Nov 2012)

Joan Burton: The application for rent supplement by the person concerned was disallowed for two reasons; the failure to establish a housing need with his local authority and that his rent level exceeded the limit for a single person. When this decision was appealed the Appeals Office overturned the first part of the decision, as they were satisfied that he had established a housing need, but upheld the...