Results 26,681-26,700 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). A total of 14.75% PRSI is payable in respect of ordinary employees under PRSI Class A and provides access to the full range of social insurance benefits. (4% is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Feb 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 Medical Assessor expressed the opinion that the care recipient mentioned above is not so disabled as to require full-time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review or appeal....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Feb 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 was of the opinion that the person...

Private Members' Business: Community Employment Schemes: Motion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: On a point of order, I have heard everything the Deputy has stated. I could repeat, word for word, what he just said.

Private Members' Business: Community Employment Schemes: Motion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: If Deputy Ó Caoláin wants me to repeat what Deputy Stanley just said, I can do so. I listened carefully and respectfully-----

Private Members' Business: Community Employment Schemes: Motion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: If someone were to test mine and Deputy Ó Caoláin's memories, I am sure I could predict who could quote verbatim what Deputy Stanley said. I cannot speak in the same way for the Deputy's memory as I can for my own.

Private Members' Business: Community Employment Schemes: Motion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: I also noted all of the misstatements Deputy Stanley has made.

Private Members' Business: Community Employment Schemes: Motion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Deputy's figures are wrong.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Under the Redundancy Payments Scheme all eligible employees are entitled to a statutory redundancy lump sum payment on being made redundant. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks pay for every year of service, plus a bonus week, subject to a maximum ceiling on gross weekly pay of €600. Where an employer is unable or fails to pay the statutory redundancy entitlement to a former...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 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 31 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 30...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The arrears will issue shortly to the person concerned.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 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 7 December 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 5...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: I would like to say at the outset of this reply that it gives me no satisfaction to have to make any cuts in social welfare payments. However, given the scale of the fiscal crisis the Government inherited and because spending on social protection accounts for nearly 40% of current Government expenditure, savings have to be found in the social welfare system. In the welfare package presented...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Appeals officers are not required to be medically qualified. Their role is to decide any appeal where a person is dissatisfied with the decision given by a deciding officer in relation to entitlement to benefit under the Social Welfare Acts. They act in a quasi-judicial manner and the procedures involved are designed to ensure that every appellant gets full and fair consideration. An oral...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been awarded an increase for a qualified adult allowance on his State pension (contributory) for the period 1 January 2010 to 25 July 2011. The amount due will issue this week. He has no entitlement from 26 July 2011, as his wife has been awarded a State pension (transition) from that date.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 has significantly impacted on the processing time for appeals. Overall, the average processing time for all appeals in 2011 was 25.1 weeks in cases dealt with by way of summary decisions and 52.5 weeks where an oral hearing was required. These processing times are calculated from...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department does not hold details of the disability type in a format that would allow the provision of the information requested by the Deputy in respect of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme. However, a specific data extraction exercise was conducted last year in relation to the outcome of applications for DCA for children with autism-related conditions. This exercise covered...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Following the reductions in the CE training and materials grant announced in the Budget, the Department of Social Protection commenced a review of the financial resources of individual schemes. This review is scheduled to be completed by the end of March and all sponsors have been contacted by Department officers to brief them on the review. Following the completion of the reviews a...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Following the reductions in the CE training and materials grant announced in the Budget, the Department of Social Protection commenced a review of the financial resources of individual schemes. This review is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. All sponsors have been contacted by Department officers at local level to brief them on the review, discuss their returns and deal with any...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2012)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that s/he was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 22 October 2011 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...