Results 22,801-22,820 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge Scheme has made significant progress to-date since it came into operation on the 1st July 2011. 11,201 internships have commenced to date with 5,125 participants currently on an internship as at 15th October 2012 and over 2,200 opportunities presently advertised on . The take-up has been particularly strong in the SME sector with this sector accounting for 6,481 or 58% of all...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 65 together. The Government has provided €436 million for rent supplement in 2012. There are currently approximately 90,000 customers in receipt of this payment. As the Department currently funds approximately 30% of the private rented sector it is essential that State support for rents are kept under review and reflect current market...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 64, 75 and 94 together. The Department is committed to providing a high quality service to its customers and to ensuring that all payments are made available on their due date. The quality of customer service that social welfare recipients receive at post offices is important to the Department and to An Post, which has responsibility for that service....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 89 together. In November 2010 the then Government negotiated a funding agreement with the EU / ECB / IMF funding Troika. That Government agreed a structural adjustment programme which is subject to a monthly and quarterly reporting process as well as on-going discussions with the Troika on all expenditure headings, including social protection. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I am aware of the survey conducted by AA Insurance and published in the Irish Times in September 2012. I note that, as reported, a significant amount of the costs of running a home relates to significant mortgage repayments. In this regard, I recently announced a three-phased approach to establishing a comprehensive Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service to provide the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: There are almost 52,000 people in receipt of carer’s allowance from my Department at an annual cost of over €500 million. Of these, over 22,000 are getting half rate carer’s allowance in addition to another social welfare payment at an annual cost of some €90 million. The carer’s allowance scheme is based on demand and not on a fixed budget and therefore,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The proposals for a European-wide approach to a “youth guarantee”, that are to be discussed during Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council, will be drawn up in the first instance by the European Commission. The Commission is currently reviewing relevant youth policies across the Member States with a view to making its proposals. The Commission’s proposals are expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 76 together. The back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on certain social welfare payments to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Payments (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: There are over 16,000 persons in receipt of mortgage interest supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of €51 million for 2012. Mortgage interest supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of mortgage costs, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Review (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand that the review of the operation of the domiciliary care allowance scheme is progressing well. The working group is due to submit a report to me by the end of the year.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment made to people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. Currently, (to the end September 2012) there are 49,183 people in receipt of payment on this scheme. The refusal rate on invalidity pension claims in the period 1/1/2012 to 30/9/2012 was 64%. The rate of refusal is dependent on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: There are no plans to extend eligibility to persons under 25 (other than those already covered under the current eligibility criteria). Community Employment (CE) is not generally intended for persons under 25 years of age as there are other more appropriate and suitable interventions for that cohort. Those who do not meet the CE eligibility criteria are advised to contact their local DSP...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 98, 101, 102 and 364 together. Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will be aware, I launched the first INTREO office of the new employment and entitlements service of the Department, with An Taoiseach on Monday in Sligo. INTREO is the integrated employment activation and supports service model that this Government promised to deliver in the Programme for Government and in ‘Pathways to Work’. INTREO is the name for the new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 99 together. There are approximately 90,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of €436 million for 2012. The aim of rent supplement is to provide short term income assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. In March 2012, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Proofing of Policies (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 108 and 110 together. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report published last December provides for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €1,033 million over the next two years by the Department of Social Protection. This includes €540 million of new savings to be achieved in Budget 2013. The CER also stated that the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Pension Benefit Schemes Issues (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The Funding Standard provides a benchmark against which the “health” of a scheme can be tested. The existence of the Funding Standard itself is not the central issue in relation to whether a scheme is properly funded. Rather the responsibility rests with the employer and the trustees for ensuring that the scheme is properly funded and managed. However, the Funding Standard does...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The inter-departmental group (IDG) on school-age childcare consists of representatives from the Department of Social Protection, 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 and Skills. The role of the group is to explore the best possible model for enhancing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (16 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme is currently 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 740,000 customers eligible for free travel and when spousal and companion passes are taken into account, there are over 1.1 million customers with some free travel eligibility. ...