Results 27,361-27,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: They generally have access to a full sick pay system. If they have an accident and are out of work, they are paid. They then go back to work on full pay. This is recognition of their disability. A scar may have an emotional as well as a physical significance. That is for the medical assessor, the doctor reviewing the case, to determine. The decision is not made by administrators. In...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Entitlement to state pension (contributory) is based on the number of contributions paid by the recipient over the duration of his/her working life. It entitles the recipient to a personal rate of pension (i.e. the amount payable to a single person with no dependants) regardless of any other means or income that they have. An increase may also be paid in respect of a dependent adult, provided...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: There are currently over 18,900 households benefiting from the mortgage interest supplement scheme for which €77.2m has been allocated for 2011. A person may be entitled to a supplement towards the amount of mortgage interest payable in respect of his or her residence provided that: · The loan agreement was entered into at a time when, in the opinion of the Department, the person was in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an oral hearing was scheduled for the person concerned on 3rd October 2011. The appellant notified the Social Welfare Appeal that he had a hospital appointment on the same day and the Oral Hearing was duly cancelled. The case has been re-listed for an oral hearing and will be re-scheduled at the earliest available date. There has been a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

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 23rd November 2011 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department has received three separate applications for carer's allowance from the person concerned in respect of three care recipients, including the person mentioned above. Her file has been referred to an investigative officer of the Department who has been asked to report and confirm whether all conditions for receipt of carer's allowance are satisfied in respect of...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Community employment (CE) helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. Some 1,100 organisations in the community, voluntary and not-for-profit sectors provide work and training placements for participants nationwide. The number of placements available during 2011, including supervisor...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The majority of civil servants commence their employment in the civil service on a pay scale that provides for annual increments up to a maximum point when they are regarded as having the full capacity for their role. The annual increment is normally paid on the anniversary of appointment provided performance, which includes attendance and punctuality during the year, is satisfactory. There...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department's press office generally deals with all media queries and public relations matters. No money has been spent by my Department on public relations companies since 2006.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Advertising for the Department falls under two categories: · Routine newspaper/magazine advertisements to advise the public of office closures, relocations or recruitment. · General advertising to raise awareness of schemes and services including campaigns on radio, television and in the print media. The amount of money spent by my Department on advertising in national and local media is as...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I have attached a table which sets out the total number of Jobseekers' Allowance claims from self-employed persons that were processed by my Department during 2009, 2010 and to date 2011. The table also shows the number of claims awarded as a percentage of the total number of claims awarded, disallowed or withdrawn in each of the years. A separate table indicates the number of claims...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22nd November 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 8th...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was refused on two separate issues, firstly on the grounds that the care recipient is not so invalided or disabled as to require full-time care and attention as laid down in legislation and secondly on grounds that he has not established that he is providing full time care and attention as laid down in the carer's allowance guidelines. On 14 July 2011, he was notified of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

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 a 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. The...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: A redundancy lump sum claim in respect of the person concerned was received on 26 May 2011. Redundancy lump sums claims received at the start of May 2011 are currently being processed.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: Due to the current economic circumstances and the need for the Department of Social Protection to find savings of €475 million in Budget 2012, it was necessary to examine all aspects of the Department's expenditure. As a result Budget 2012 contained a reduction in the Community Employment (CE) materials and training grants from €1,500 to €500 per participant per annum. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: From January 2012, income from carer's allowance and carer's benefit payments will be included in the income assessment for Family Income Supplement (FIS). This measure brings the treatment of carer's allowance and carer's benefit, for the FIS income assessment, into line with how other primary social welfare payments are assessed.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence has allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against...

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: The employment services division of FÁS will join the Department of Social Protection on 1 January 2012. This division has responsibility for CE schemes. This means the operational budget for CE schemes will become the responsibility of my Department. The division has 700 staff and it is also responsible for the local employment service. As part of its integration into the Department of...

Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)

Joan Burton: I want to mention the two reviews of community employment carried out recently, first, the Forfás review and, second, the ESRI review. Both said that, for quite a number of community employment participants, there is only a 1% to 3% chance of actually getting a job after they have participated. That is a very worrying outcome.