Results 24,321-24,340 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Jobseeker's Allowance: Jobseeker's Allowance (19 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: Jobseeker's Allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme operated by my Department. For means test purposes, account is taken of the income and assets of both the claimant and his or her spouse/partner including the earnings of the spouse. Where a spouse/partner has earnings from employment, earnings less PRSI contributions, pension contributions and trade union subscriptions are...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal, of the person concerned, by way of a 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. The...

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance: Domiciliary Care Allowance (19 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department has been responsible for the domiciliary care allowance scheme (DCA) since April 2009. As there were no agreed national medical guidelines for the scheme while it was administered by the Health Service Executive, an Expert Medical Group was established, in advance of the transfer of functions, to examine this issue and to draw up standardised medical guidelines. The Group...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: At the outset I would like to confirm that the rate band changes, which will come into effect from September 2012, will not affect existing customers. There is an important context to the proposed changes to State pension provision. Firstly, there is the fiscal context. Given the scale of the fiscal crisis and because spending on social protection accounts for nearly 40% of current...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: There are currently 93,800 persons in receipt of rent supplement, with €436m provided in 2012. A table showing the total number of recipients of rent supplement in County Meath is set out below. Rent Supplement Recipients in County Meath at 8th June 2012 County Recipients Meath 2,556

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 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 — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 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 the 13th June 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 appeal will be referred to an Appeals Officer who may make a decision...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: A redundancy lump sum claim in respect of the person concerned has been awarded and payment is due to issue in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for Rent Supplement was received on 17th February 2012. Additional information and documentation was sought, most recently on 18th April 2012, but no reply has been received to date. The Rent Supplement application cannot be further progressed until the outstanding information is received.

Written Answers — Job Initiatives: Job Initiatives (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of the new integrated National Employment and Entitlements Service is the central element in the realisation of the Government's Pathways to Work policy. Following the integration of FÁS and the Community Welfare Service into the Department, I am happy to inform the Deputy that the process of establishment is now well underway. Pilots of the...

Written Answers — Back to Education Allowance: Back to Education Allowance (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The focus of Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme is to assist those who are most marginalised and distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The person in question is currently in receipt of illness benefit. The eligibility criteria for participation in the BTEA scheme require a person...

Written Answers — National Internship Scheme: National Internship Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The National Internship Scheme provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals on the Live Register, in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors. The scheme is limited to individuals who are currently on the Live Register and have been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance/Benefit or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of...

Written Answers — Illness Benefit: Illness Benefit (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 66 and 68 together. Illness benefit is a payment for insured people who cannot work due to illness. A person may qualify for illness benefit if they are unable to work due to illness, satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) conditions, and are under age 66. The tables below set out breakdowns of illness benefit claim durations (measured in claim...

Written Answers — Scheme of Statutory Sick Pay: Scheme of Statutory Sick Pay (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: I hosted a consultative seminar on the feasibility and implications of introducing a scheme of statutory sick pay in February 2012. This seminar was attended by a broad range of key stakeholders and afforded an opportunity to discuss the complex issues involved. The report of that seminar will be published on the Department's website before the end of next week and will provide the basis...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: Twenty six redundancy lump sum claims in respect of former employees of the company concerned were submitted manually on 31 January 2012. The Department is currently processing manual redundancy lump sum claims received at the end of December 2011 and, therefore, unfortunately, it will be some time before the claims are finalised.

Written Answers — Scheme of Statutory Sick Pay: Scheme of Statutory Sick Pay (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The question of introducing a scheme of statutory sick pay, whereby employers would directly meet the costs of sick absence for an initial period of illness, is being considered in the context of the need to reform the social welfare system to bring it into line with practices in other countries in this area; · the need to address the deficit in the social insurance fund; · the need to...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: The claim for the person concerned has been refused as the child is being adequately accommodated by the mother. The refusal has been previously upheld by the HSE appeals office. If the person concerned wishes to appeal the decision, he must appeal to the Chief Appeals Officer who functions independently of my Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social...

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (14 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 24 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. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in to an Appeals...

Written Answers — Customer Charter: Customer Charter (14 Jun 2012)

Joan Burton: Customers applying to my Department for benefits or payments are asked to indicate their preferred title either by choosing one of 'Mr.', 'Mrs.' or 'Ms.' or by specifying their preferred title in writing. The Irish language versions of application forms offer a corresponding choice in respect of Irish titles. The Department's customer service standards are set out in its Customer Charter and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 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 24 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 and the...