Results 25,321-25,340 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

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

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme Applications: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department does not maintain statistics on the length of time taken to process rent supplement applications or the number of applications received. However, I attach a tabular statement showing the number of rent supplement claims awarded during 2011 and during the first quarter of 2012. Rent Supplement Claims Registered and Awarded Period Claims Awarded 2011 63,878 Jan - Mar 2012 12,819

Written Answers — Social Welfare Overpayments: Social Welfare Overpayments (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The total value of overpayments raised in 2010 amounted to €83.4m in respect of approximately 52,000 cases. Recoveries in that year amounted to €34.5m. The value of overpayments raised in the jobseeker's allowance scheme in 2010 amounted to €12.1m in respect of approximately 15,000 cases and recoveries amounted to €6.3m. My Department actively pursues the recovery of all...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Overpayments: Social Welfare Overpayments (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Each of the Department's primary scheme areas and all local offices have a debt management function. The number of staff specifically involved in the collection of debt will depend on the claim-load and the level of overpayments in each of these areas. It is the responsibility of all Departmental officers to review the debt position of a customer at the claim stage, when establishing a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department does not maintain statistics on the number of applications for supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) currently awaiting a decision. However more than 95% of basic SWA applications are decided and paid within a week.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that a total of 1,543 appeals across all schemes were received in the 3 week period 2 April to 20 April 2012. Based on returns for the first quarter of 2012, the average times taken to process appeals decided by summary decision is 22.4 weeks and 40.9 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. These processing times are calculated from the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: On 20 April 2012 there were 301 jobseeker's benefit claims pending decision from claimants in County Kildare. The average processing time for jobseeker's benefit claims is 1.86 weeks.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 69 domiciliary care applications scheduled for oral hearing. Oral hearings are granted at the discretion of the Appeals Officer based on the nature and circumstances of the case.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence allowed the appeal, of the person concerned, by way of summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision on 18th April 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 when the intake was 14,070 to 2010 and 2011 when the intake rose to 32,432 and 31,241...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The continued entitlement to domiciliary care allowance (DCA) of the person concerned was reviewed on 3rd April 2012. The case was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors, who reviewed the entitlement of the child based on the medical review form submitted and found that the child was no longer medically eligible for the allowance. The person concerned was notified of the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. In the past, income support for people of working age, including lone parents, has been passive in nature, with little systematic engagement by the State with the customer. This is now changing. Long-term welfare dependency and passive income support to people of working age are not in the best interests of the recipient, of their...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The elimination of poverty is a key objective of Government. In this context, the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 includes a target to reduce the number of people experiencing consistent poverty. People are in consistent poverty if their income is below 60% of median income (at-risk-of-poverty) and they experience two or more items of basic deprivation, out of an 11 item...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputies for their wide ranging and thoughtful contributions. I appreciate Deputy Boyd Barrett was just using language and I accept he did not mean to cast any aspiration on lone parents. All of us share a huge admiration for the achievements of parents including those parenting on their own. Those of us who are parents know just how tough, messy and difficult it is whether one...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: It is derogatory. I suggest the Deputy should-----

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand his concern for lone parents is very strong and is a personal commitment. I am just saying not to use language like this. This is my suggestion. It sounds more like the Tea Party in the United States.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I had never heard it. I will repeat the schedule. For those in the system prior to April 2011 the relevant age for 2011 and 2012 is under 18; for 2013 it is under 17; for 2014 it is under 16; and for 2015 and 2016 it is under seven. For lone parents who entered the system between April 2011 and May 2012 the relevant age for 2011 and 2012 is under 14; for 2013 it is under 12; for 2014 it is...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: -----the relevant age for 2012 is under 12; for 2013 it is under 10; and for 2014 it is under seven. The calculations for 2012 are that out of 92,000 lone parents the new system will affect 170 people. I want to be very clear to people who are in the lone parents system that this will take several years to apply. By rather careless references one might imply that everybody is affected by...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The school I went to did not traditionally even provide leaving certificate education; I was one of the first people there to do the leaving certificate. If one does not have a political philosophy of developing towards the next step and the next stage one will always stay where one is. We may find this difficult to do and we may falter on the way and not do all that the Deputies reference....

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Contrary to Deputy Ó Snodaigh's impression, Sinn Féin members are not the only people who travel up to the North. Deputies on all sides of the House would have relations, friends, family and so on there.