Results 23,361-23,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question. The application is currently with a deciding officer for a means assessment and a full decision. The application will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The age limit for receipt of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is 16 years. As the child in question is now over 16 years of age, DCA is no longer payable. However persons over the age of 16 years can apply for disability allowance in their own right.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15th August 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The National Internship Scheme provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in receipt of a Live Claim, in organizations in the private, public, community and voluntary sectors; at present it is limited to individuals who are in receipt of a Live Claim (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment is designed to provide income for employees with families who are on low earnings. Expenditure on FIS for 2011 was of the order of €204 million in respect of some 29,000 families. The payment preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he/she was unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The sustainability of pensions into the future is important given the changing demographics, the increased numbers of those over 65 and increased longevity and reduced dependency ratio. Because the State pension is a very valuable benefit it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. That is why...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Staff (19 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: Details of the gross annual salary costs in respect of the Ministerial private and constituency offices for 2009 and 2010 are set out in the following table. The totals show the annualised salary costs of the staffing levels as they stood on 1 September in each of the years in question. There is no Minister of State attached to the Department at present nor was there during the years in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that Ireland now faces and it is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues. To this end, last year I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience to examine a number of specific issues. These include making...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Rebates (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 629 together. 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. All payments are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The unemployment rate is currently 14.7% and while it has stabilised after several years of increases, the rate remains unacceptably high. It is of additional concern that long-term unemployment accounts for 61% of total unemployment, and for almost half of all unemployment among young people. In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Sick Pay Scheme Reform (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: For a number of compelling reasons, the Government is considering the introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay at this time – as a measure to help in addressing the growing deficit in the Social Insurance Fund; to limit progression from short-term illness to long-term illness or disability; and also to bring Ireland into line with practices in other countries in this area. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Numbers (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: Young people, typically, suffer disproportionately from job losses in recessions as they tend to have entered employment more recently, are more likely to hold temporary contracts and to be employed in cyclically sensitive industries than older workers. The Quarterly National Household survey indicated that there were 56,000 young unemployed aged 15-24 in Q1 2012, made up of 15,000 aged 15-19...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 635 together. The Gender Recognition Advisory Group (GRAG) was established in 2010 to advise the Government on the legislation required to give legal recognition to the acquired gender of transgender persons. The Report of the Group, which recommends a scheme for the legal recognition of transgender persons, was approved by the Government on 12...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Numbers (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: Young people, typically, suffer disproportionately from job losses in recessions as they tend to have entered employment more recently, are more likely to hold temporary contracts and to be employed in cyclically sensitive industries than older workers. The Quarterly National Household survey indicated that there were 56,000 young unemployed aged 15–24 in Q1 2012, made up of 15,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are currently over 90,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €436 million for 2012. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 638 and 644 together. The person concerned has been refused higher rent supplement to cover accommodation for himself and his child as the child is primarily accommodated with his mother and his housing need has already been met. This refusal has been upheld by the HSE appeals office. While the person concerned would qualify for rent supplement at the single...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 639 and 741 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 A PRSI at the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Application Numbers (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: A table detailing the number of recipients of a payment under the farm assist scheme follows showing the number of recipients at the end of July 2012 and at end of the years 2007 to 2011 inclusive. The table also details the finalised expenditure figures for the year’s 2007 to 2011 as well as the total provisional expenditure on farm assist to 31 July 2012. Year Recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (18 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23rd 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. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (18 Sep 2012)

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 were received in that office on 27th July 2012. The appeal in this case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence...