Results 26,221-26,240 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department is preparing an analysis of the distributive and poverty impacts on families of the Budget 2012 tax and welfare package, in conjunction with the Department of Finance. This analysis is currently being finalised. I will arrange for the analysis to be published on the Department's website in March 2012, in line with the arrangements I put in place last year. There are no plans...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: In my discussions with my colleagues in Government about measures announced in Budget 2012, I had regard to any views expressed by disability organisations as well as other welfare representative organisations generally. In this regard, I held a Pre-Budget Forum on 16th September 2011. This was attended by 34 organisations, including organisations representing people with disabilities, and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Migraine is accepted as a certifiable medical condition. Eligibility to illness related benefit/allowance is determined by its severity and expected duration. The medical assessment is made in accordance with the Department's evidence based medical guidelines and protocols.

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

Joan Burton: The Carer's Association has been in contact with my office regarding the habitual residence condition for carers. Carers allowance is a means tested social assistance payment made to persons who are unable to work because they are providing full time care and attention to elderly people or people with disabilities. Expenditure on carers has increased by 550% over the last ten years. In...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 24 November 2011 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The qualifying conditions for State pension (transition) require the applicant to · have entered insurable employment before attaining the age of 55 years · have at least 260 paid contribution weeks, since entry into insurance · have a yearly average of at least 24 paid/credited contributions. According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has self-employment...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. Plans to tackle child poverty are outlined in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 (NAPSincl) and in the Programme for Government. The Government is committed to achieving the targets in the NAPsincl to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty. These targets are currently being reviewed to ensure that they...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16 August 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 17...

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of disablement pension at the weekly rate of €43.80 and one-parent family payment of €217.80 per week. She is also in receipt of rent supplement of €600.64 per month. This rate is calculated on the basis of her weekly one-parent family and disablement payments.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Under the Community Initiatives area of responsibility in the Department of Social Protection (ie Rural Social Scheme, Tús, Community Employment Schemes and Community Services Programme), there is no provision to provide direct funding by way of grants to organisations. In the case of the RSS and Tús, organisations may submit a work plan requesting participants to undertake certain works...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14 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 2...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: My Department endeavours to seek the maximum level of repayments from clients, who have received payments in excess of what they were entitled to, in order to encourage prompt repayment of all debts. We are fully committed to recovering 100% of all overpayments, including those arising as a result of suspected fraud or error. Effective debt recovery is seen an integral part of the deterrent...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Office of Public Works, on behalf of my Department, is in the process of acquiring suitable accommodation for the establishment of new public offices in Balbriggan and Swords as a matter of priority. All available options are being examined in the context of a viable accommodation solution, taking account of the operational needs of the Department, the service needs of the local...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Act 2011, which was enacted on 19 December 2011, gave legislative effect to a number of social welfare measures arising from Budget 2012. It will also be necessary to bring forward a further Social Welfare Bill to enact a number of other measures announced in Budget 2012, which are due to take effect early in 2012. This Bill will also provide for a range of other...

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

Joan Burton: The Department has been accepting new claims for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) since 1st April 2009. Statistics relating to the allowance for the period prior to April 2009 are a matter for the HSE, the previous administrators of the scheme. Statistics relating to the outcome of applications for children with specific disabilities or conditions in individual counties are not held. While...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15th 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 16th ...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection advertises vacancies notified to its employment service's job bank through its national call centre, and maintains a database of all such vacancies. During 2011, in the region of 69,000 job opportunities were notified to the job bank (then operated by FAS) and a further 9,500 jobs have been notified in the first two months of 2012. Currently, (February...

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

Joan Burton: Support for farmers on low incomes is available through the farm assist scheme. While this means-tested payment is broadly similar to the jobseeker's allowance scheme, it has a more generous means test, which takes account of the specific nature of farming and, unlike jobseeker's allowance, farmers claiming this payment do not need to be available for work outside of the farm in order to...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The payment rate for the scheme remains at €188 per week – with a further €29.80 per week for each additional qualified child. Until 2011, the OFP payment provided long-term income support to lone parents until children were aged 18, or 22 if in full-time education, without any requirement for them to engage in employment, education or training. Such long-term welfare dependency and...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (29 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection makes a number of payments to families with children which include child benefit, which is provided on a universal basis to all families. They also include payments to low income families including the family income supplement and qualified child increases to recipients of primary social welfare payments, both of which provide a level of assistance that is...