Results 25,561-25,580 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. This department received a claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of her claim was examined by a medical assessor who expressed the opinion that the person...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 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 26th 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 on 01st...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been awarded carer's allowance with effect from 31 May 2011. The first payment will reach her bank account on 26 April 2012. Arrears due for the intervening period less any other payment made on her behalf for this period, and less any overpayment that may have occurred, if relevant, will issue to her nominated bank account in due course.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: As Community Employment (CE) participants are employees of the sponsoring organisation the Department is not in a position to put in place a universal scheme of insurance for such employees. However, I am aware of the variations and high costs associated with obtaining insurance for CE schemes. As a result officials from my Department had commenced a review of insurance and other costs with...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The financial review of Community Employment Schemes has proved to be a valuable exercise for both the schemes themselves and for my Department. The examination that is being carried out has yielded details of expenditure which at this early stage suggest that savings can be made in the administrative costs of schemes. Given the volume and breath of the data being returned, the financial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 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. Following the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the person concerned has been awarded Carer's allowance with effect from 2 June 2011 to 7 December 2012. Arrangements are being made to put his payment in place less any other payment made on his behalf for this period, and less any overpayment that may have occurred . Payment will issue to his nominated bank account in due course.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 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 24 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. When received, the appeal in question will be referred in due course to an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm an application was received from the person in question. She has now submitted further medical evidence in support of her claim as her application does not satisfy the medical criteria for receipt of carer's allowance. On completion of the necessary investigations relating to all aspects of her claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 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 summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision on 03rd 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 (18 Apr 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 summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision on 03rd April 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

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

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was refused carer's allowance in respect of a second care recipient on the grounds that the Department's Chief Medical Assessor expressed the opinion that the care recipient, is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. On 10 May 2011, she was notified of this decision and of her right of review and/or appeal to the Social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 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 02nd February 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 due course...

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department has no plans to abolish free travel for old age pensioners. The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 90...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: A bereavement grant is a payment designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It is a once-off payment, based on PRSI contributions, made from the Social Insurance Fund. To qualify for a bereavement grant, the person on whose insurance record the claim is based must have 156 PRSI contributions paid. Alternatively, if an insured person has between 26 and 155...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. In the interests of fairness applications are processed, as far as possible, in order of the date on which they were received. There were c 53,000 people in receipt of carer's payments as at the end of February 2012 this represents an increase of c 60% over the past five years. In addition there are, at...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 522 together. The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as quickly as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions include, in the case of jobseeker's allowance,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: At the end of March 2012 there were 7,040 Invalidity Pension (IP) claims registered and pending decision. Average time to award is currently 32 weeks, this includes the time taken to decide EU & bilateral cases which have a significantly longer processing time. It is not possible to segregate domestic claim processing times from EU/bi-lateral cases. In an effort to ensure continuity of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In the period from 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012 some 78,500 claims for illness benefit were processed. At the end of March 2012 there were 5,282 illness benefit claims awaiting decision. The average time to process a claim for illness benefit is one week. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 2,277 illness benefit cases awaiting a decision on appeal....