Results 22,581-22,600 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2013 (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 301, 324 and 367 together. The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure in 2012 of nearly €2.08 billion on child benefit or 10.1% of total expenditure, and nearly €6.26 billion on pensions or 30.4% of total expenditure. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012 – 2014 published by Government last December provides...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 302, 348 and 349 together. The inter-Departmental Group (IDG) on school-age child care, chaired by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and comprising of representatives from both the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) – which is the lead Department in relation to child care policy and provision- and the Department of Education...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I recently visited Sweden to study and discuss a number of issues of interest to me. I am particularly interested in the childcare system that Sweden has put in place and I very much wanted the opportunity to examine the system to establish what Ireland could learn from that model. The school I visited is a Reggio Emilia-inspired pre-school on the suburbs of Stockholm. The Reggio Emilia...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Sick Pay Arrangements (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government is considering the introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay at this time for a number of compelling reasons – as a measure to help in addressing the deficit in the social insurance fund; as a measure to limit progression from short-term illness to long-term illness or disability; and to bring Ireland into line with practice in other countries in this area. There...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 306, 308, 317, 323, 334, 357, 364, 365 and 371 together. Under the provisions and procedures governing the registration of deaths in Ireland, which are contained in Part 5 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004, if a death occurs in the State it is the duty of a qualified informant (normally a relative of the deceased) to attend at a registrar's office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14th September 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 20th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 31st July 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I acknowledge that the time taken to process carer’s allowance claims at present is not satisfactory but I am satisfied that the Department is taking appropriate action to resolve the situation. Carer’s allowance section has completed a major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes applications from clients for carer’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 16th February 2012. A decision on the application has been made and a letter issued on 22 October 2012 directly to the person concerned with notification of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: When I used the term “core social welfare payments” recently, I was referring to those primary weekly payments that are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. Such payments and the relevant weekly maximum rates of payment are outlined in the table below. The Department pays out a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly or less frequent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 8 March 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: Employment Support Services (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together. Preparations in relation to the provision of the Intreo service in Finglas are underway and aspects of the service will be introduced over a period of weeks with full implementation by the end of December, 2012. In relation to other areas of County Meath, it is expected that integrated services will be developed in the county during...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 20th April 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: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Further to my response to Parliamentary Questions 38093/12 of 18th September 2012 and 41229/12 of 2 October 2012, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there is no update to the information given previously. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 8th November 2011. 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 20th August 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 17th July 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

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. In light of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: An application form, from the customer concerned, was received by the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance section on the 27th of June 2012. The application was processed on the 18th of July 2012 and was disallowed as the person’s means exceed the income limit for their family size. The customer concerned requested a review of this decision. Their review was completed on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together. There are three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection. These are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman. Social Welfare Tribunal The Social Welfare Tribunal consists of a Chairperson and four ordinary members, two...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Eligibility (23 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Mortgage interest supplement (MIS) provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. There are currently approximately 16,000 mortgage interest supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €51 million for in 2012. The amount of MIS payable is the...