Results 25,101-25,120 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 May 2012)

Joan Burton: There is no record in the Department of an application for domiciliary care allowance having been received from the person concerned.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (1 May 2012)

Joan Burton: In April 2000, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) introduced capped limits on the amount of time that a person could participate on Community Employment. Community Employment capping was introduced to facilitate the movement of participants though the programme, allowing new participants who may not otherwise have such an opportunity, avail of the programme. In order...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 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 29 October 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 will be...

Written Answers — Youth Employment Action Plan: Youth Employment Action Plan (1 May 2012)

Joan Burton: Primary responsibility for employment policy, incentives and job creation, in the main lies, with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. As the Deputy will be aware, many actions being undertaken by Government in respect of supporting employment range across a number of Departments and Agencies. In respect of actions undertaken by the Government, a range of reforms and...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank the leaders, especially of the Government parties, for the absolute support they have given to me during these important days of debate. I also thank the leaders of the Opposition parties and the Independents for the courtesy they have extended to me during this discussion. The debate has been extremely worthwhile. We have had a considered discussion, particularly about child care...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: As Senator Darragh O'Brien is aware, the price was never formally reduced.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Is that "green" in a Republican or environmental sense?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: It is the first time the green-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not propose to accept amendments Nos. 9 and 10. As supplementary pension schemes are usually established under irrevocable trust the assets of the scheme are legally separate from the assets of the employer. Under trust law, trustees of occupational pension schemes are required to act in the best interests of scheme members and have the principal responsibility of ensuring that the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not have it before me but it is probably based on equities worldwide. The National Pensions Reserve Fund, when operational in the equities market, used various standard programmes for investment in equities around the world. Many defined benefit schemes are closed to new members and as such their membership is older. Obviously, as membership age in pension funds increases there is a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: That was something between the former Minister and the promoters. I was always rather surprised that the price tag reported appeared to be as high as it was. I will not say more than that.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The unilateral decision was taken-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The unilateral decision was taken to give a unilateral guarantee to the banks which, in turn, had consequences for our capacity for further fund raising. The banks, the promissory notes and the NAMA structure have all imposed obligations on Ireland which are very difficult and onerous for taxpayers, so they limit our freedom of action in regard to other areas but I will not go into all of...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Report and Remaining Stages (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I have explained my views to the House. I welcome that we have had a positive debate on the necessity of a programme of preschool and after-school care. We have a number of years in which to progress that programme in an active way, given the fact that the threshold of seven years of age arises from 2014 for new entrants and 2015 and 2016 for existing recipients. It would be a good day's...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: This section deals with the entitlement to mortgage interest supplement. As Senators have noted, the purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments on a house that is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: They already are required to do this under the code of conduct on mortgage arrears published by the Central Bank to which all registered entities have signed up.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I have to hand the code of conduct on mortgage arrears as published by the Central Bank and will turn to the relevant provisions. The onus will be on lenders and borrowers alike to engage and to deal with the immediate problem. When I attended the presentation by Professor Jason Kilborn, he, together with everyone else with expertise on debt, all stated the critical thing is to get both the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: On the status of the code of conduct on mortgage arrears, to be clear, the last major revision of the code was 1 January 2011. The code sets out how mortgage lenders, referred to as "lenders", must treat borrowers in or facing mortgage arrears with due regard to the fact that each case of mortgage arrears is unique and needs to be considered on its own merits. The code sets out the framework...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am reading from the publication.