Results 25,741-25,760 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Order for Second Stage (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As Minister for Social Protection, I am acutely aware of the needs of the people who depend on social welfare and the harsh economic circumstances many individuals and families face. The Department of Social Protection currently accounts for approximately 40% of all current Government expenditure. This means that €4 in every €10 that...

Job Creation Measures (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Humphreys for raising this issue. The Department of Social Protection operates a range of activation measures which aim to assist and support social welfare recipients of working age to engage and re-engage with education, training and work experience with a view to reducing their dependency on social welfare and ultimately to assist them in gaining employment. The Department...

Job Creation Measures (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I share the concerns expressed by Deputy Humphreys. We are trying to recast the social welfare system to change it from a system that has been largely passive to one that becomes active. Among the key issues in the type of scenario the Deputy describes is to ensure early intervention and early access to information and knowledge about how one qualifies for a placement and to secure for the...

Private Rented Accommodation (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Buttimer for raising the issue. At the outset I point out that social welfare legislation already provides the Department with the authority to refuse, suspend or terminate payment of a rent supplement in the case of a person who has been required to deliver up possession of a dwelling provided by a housing authority or an approved body where the reasons for that requirement...

Private Rented Accommodation (18 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand the difficulties faced by Deputy Buttimer's constituents. That is why there are two specific avenues for dealing with this in the programme for Government. The first is to transfer long-term rent supplement to local authorities, which have housing expertise. They have the powers to deal with tenants who are misbehaving and causing significant distress to people living nearby....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15 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 to an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Mar 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 — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Mar 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 (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: There are two claims in respect of this individual. A redundancy lump sum claim was awarded and payment issued directly to the person concerned in November 2011. An insolvency claim in respect of this individual was received on 13 October 2011 and this will be processed in due course.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The cost to my Department for airfares for the official visit to New York for St Patricks Day 2012 was € 1,623.64. This includes the airfare costs for one official from the Department who accompanied the Minister. Details of other expenditure such as accommodation and ancillary costs are not yet available.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (29 Mar 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 Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I understand this question is intended to refer to domiciliary care allowance and not carer's allowance. Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment to the carer of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 19th January 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments on 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Mar 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 (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme operates from the beginning of June until the end of September each year. The spouse of the person concerned was awarded this allowance for two children and a payment of €505 was made into her bank account in September, 2011. My Department has no responsibility in the area of the drug repayment scheme. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Rural Social Scheme: Rural Social Scheme (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rural social scheme is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Persons are engaged for 191⁄2 hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. I have no plans to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the Appeals Officer has decided to re-schedule a further oral hearing. However, it is not possible to give a date when this hearing will be heard, but the person concerned will be informed when the new arrangements have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on 24th February 2010. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for DCA. A letter issued on 22nd April 2010 refusing the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision. She was informed by the Social...

Written Answers — Live Register: Live Register (29 Mar 2012)

Joan Burton: At the end of February 2012 there were 31,485 persons signing for credits. This group are included in the live register and represented approximately 7% of the total number of persons on the register at that date.