Results 24,801-24,820 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 May 2012)

Joan Burton: Total expenditure on the engagement of consultants by my Department for the years 2008 to 2011 is set out below and consultancies involved are detailed in the tables. 2008 (Outturn) €1,919,600 2009 (Outturn) €1,145,917 2010 (Outturn) €596,663 2011 (Provisional Outturn) €893,056 The Department engages a range of consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 May 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for carer's allowance from the person in question. On completion of the necessary investigations relating to all aspects of her case a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20th March 2012. The case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 May 2012)

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

Written Answers — Employment Action Plan: Employment Action Plan (22 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of Tús is to focus on those people who are long-term unemployed and who may not have engaged in activation activity for some time. For this reason, eligibility for both participatory and supervisory positions on Tús is confined to those on the Live Register for at least 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Gender Recognition Advisory Group was established in May 2010, to advise on the legislation required to give legal recognition to the acquired gender of transgendered persons. The report of the Group was submitted to Government and published in July 2011. The report set out detailed recommendations for legislation to give recognition, including birth registration, to the acquired gender...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement: Rent Supplement (17 May 2012)

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

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together. The effectiveness of these programmes is under review and as part of that review the geographical distribution and progression of participants will examined and reported upon. This information will be made available to the Deputy when the analysis has been completed.

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office 12 March 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 in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of Tús is to focus on those people who are long-term unemployed and who may not have engaged in activation activity for some time. For this reason, eligibility for both participatory and supervisory positions on Tús is confined to those on the Live Register for at least 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to...

Written Answers — Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare: Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that we face. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues and ensuring work is worthwhile. To this end, last year I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience in order to address a number of specific...

Written Answers — Disability Allowance: Disability Allowance (17 May 2012)

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

Written Answers — Local Employment Services: Local Employment Services (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection currently has employment services offices in Ballyfermot, and Clondalkin. These offices can provide a service to job seekers in Lucan and Palmerstown. There are no plans to establish further offices at this time.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: I advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that in this case the claim to state pension (contributory) was disallowed as the person concerned did not fulfil the statutory contribution conditions for the scheme. The person applied to the Scope section of the Department for a decision regarding the insurability of her employment on the family farm on the basis she was in a business...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to question number 686 on 18 April 2012. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: Photography services are used, in conjunction with press releases and conferences, to communicate the Department's initiatives, schemes and services to customers and to the regional and national media. Photography services were used on seven occasions since March 2011, as set out in the table below. The total cost was less than €3,100, as detailed in the attached tabular statement. I do...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Revised Estimates Volume (REV), 2012, provides for the following expenditure on the pensioner programme operated by my Department. Estimate Breakdown 2012 REV €'000 PENSIONS State Pension (Non-Contributory) 967,100 State Pension (Contributory) 3,759,164 State Pension (Transition) 153,897 Widows', Widowers' / Surviving Civil Partners' Pension (Contributory) 1,348,680 Widows',...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement: Rent Supplement (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: As per reply to Question Number 399 of Tuesday, 24 April, 2012, the person concerned has been consistently informed that an entitlement to rent supplement can only exist when the rent sought has been reduced to the limit for a single person in self-contained accommodation. The necessary documentation has already been provided by the Department to the person concerned in order to facilitate...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified by telephone on 15 May 2012 that this matter was no longer being investigated and had been resolved to the Department's satisfaction. Question No. 89 withdrawn.

Written Answers — Civil Registration: Civil Registration (16 May 2012)

Joan Burton: The Law Reform Commission, in its report Legal Aspects of Family Relationships, makes recommendations relating to the conduct of family relationships, including compulsory joint registration of the birth of a child where the parents are not married to each other. It is my intention to seek the approval of the Government later this year for the drafting of heads of a bill to amend the Civil...