Results 24,121-24,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Job Initiatives: Job Initiatives (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The employer job PRSI incentive scheme allows an employer who employs an additional member of staff, who had been unemployed for 6 months or more, to be exempted from paying employers' PRSI for 18 months. The job must be new and additional, be for at least 30 hours a week and last for at least six months. In 2010, a total of 736 employers were awarded exemptions in respect of 1,202...

Written Answers — Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme: Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collated by my Department. I am however informed that the number of participants on the Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme is manually collated on a regional basis in October and April each year. At the end of April 2012 there were 193 participants on the scheme. The following tables detail the number of participants of the scheme by...

Written Answers — Action Plan for Jobs: Action Plan for Jobs (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: As announced in February 2012 under the Action Plan for Jobs, the Government agreed to simplify and extend the Employer Job PRSI Incentive scheme for new recruitment to the end of 2012. The duration of exemption, which previously applied for 12 months, has been increased to 18 months from 1 January 2012. Under the scheme, if an employer employs an eligible employee who has been unemployed...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: There are currently 1,003 community employment (CE) participants in Kerry and a breakdown by project is set out in the following table, along with their 2011 budgets. The CE financial review which has been underway for the past few months is due to be finalised very shortly and budgets for 2012 will be agreed once the review is complete. 2011Budget Project Name Project Location...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: In order to qualify for domiciliary care allowance (DCA), a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention substantially in excess of another child of the same age without the disability and must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. Qualification for the scheme is not based on the particular disability of...

Written Answers — Invalidity Pension: Invalidity Pension (28 Jun 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. Unfortunately,...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants 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. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: My officials have during the last eight 8 months met parents and advocacy groups on a number of occasions to discuss issues relating to the administration of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme. During the course of these meetings participants were provided with details of the processes that operate as part of the application, review and appeal elements of the scheme. The medical...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: Officers from my Department who are absent on sick leave are required to comply with civil service policies on the management of sick leave, as outlined in Department of Finance Circular 09/2010 and with the Department's Attendance Management Policy. Where a sick absence lasts more than two working days, a medical certificate must be submitted. Repeated short term absences and sick leave...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department's Action Plan, and those of the agencies under the aegis of my Department, namely the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board, were prepared in January 2010, having regard to the economic and budgetary environment at that time. My Department subsequently prepared a single integrated Action Plan in January 2012 which encompassed the actions to be taken forward by my...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The domiciliary care allowance scheme has been administered by the Department of Social Protection since April 2009 and I have recently announced that a review of the operation of the scheme is to be carried out. This review will look at, amongst other things, the current application and assessment process and identify any potential improvements to the delivery of service to customers that...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provides for changes to State pension provision. While the State pension age of 66 remains unchanged, the transition payment, knows as State pension (transition) (SPT) which is in place for persons aged 65 with qualifying conditions, will be abolished from 2014. As provided for in the Act, the State pension (contributory) age will be increased in 2021...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 104, 118 and 120 together. The Department of Social Protection commenced a financial review of CE earlier this year, which has recently been completed. The main objective was to identify areas where savings could be achieved, so that best use could be made of the available funding for CE. Given the volume and breadth of the data being returned, and the...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: As the person concerned is currently in receipt of Rent Supplement at the higher rate, his entitlement will continue when he moves to new accommodation provided that the new rent is within the specified limits for an adult and 3 children in the area. While he will have to submit verification of the on-going access arrangements with his children, the exact wording as queried is not an issue.

Written Answers — Invalidity Pension: Invalidity Pension (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29th September 2011. 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 12th...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24th January 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 1st ...

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18th January 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 11th ...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: In the case of the first person named, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral appeal hearing took place on the 3rd May 2012 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer decision when the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 115, inclusive, together. Statistics on customers in receipt of domiciliary care allowance are not collated on a county basis. As a result the information requested in relation to customers resident in county Louth is not available. The total number of scheduled reviews undertaken in 2011 and 2012 (to date), based on recommendations from medical...

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (27 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24th March 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 23rd...