Results 29,341-29,360 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 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 13 July 2011 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the evidence, including that adduced at an oral hearing, has disallowed 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 15 September 2010. His claim was referred to one of the department's medical assessors who was of the opinion that the person was not medically suitable for disability allowance. The deciding officer accepted this opinion and his claim was refused. The person was notified in writing of this decision on 15 January 2011. The person...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 when the intake was 14,070 to 2010 when the intake rose to 32,432. This has significantly...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 when the intake was 14,070 to 2010 when the intake rose to 32,432. This has significantly...

Written Answers — Community Work Placements: Community Work Placements (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 2057Tús is a community work placement initiative with the objective of providing up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. This initiative will improve the work readiness of people on the Live Register with a clear focus on providing work placements. The initiative is being delivered through the network of local development...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A four-pronged control strategy has been adopted by the Department, namely prevention of fraud and error at the initial claim stage, early detection through effective review of claims in payment, measures to deter fraud, and the pursuit and recovery of overpayments....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1There are already adequate safeguards in the social protection system to qualify for a social welfare payment if they are of limited means. Many employees can establish an entitlement to a social insurance payment if they become unemployed on the basis of contributions paid by them and their employer. Employees with children in low-wage employment may qualify for family income supplement....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has advised that a weekly supplementary welfare allowance of €370.40 has been awarded to the household in question since February 2011. A back to school clothing and footwear allowance of €400 issued to the spouse of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 197 together. The appropriate level of overall expenditure by my Department in 2012 will be considered in the context of the Budget to be announced later this year. This consideration will be informed by the commitments in the Programme for Government and the overall necessity to curtail overall Government expenditure.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 195 together. This information in relation to applications for the main schemes within my Department and average weeks to award an application is set out in the tabular statement below. The number of applications for Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance fell in June 2011, compared to June 2010, and the average time taken to decide claims for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1A self-employed person, who previously had Class A contributions, may still have access to short-term social insurance schemes for a limited period of time, where they have the required number of paid Class A contributions in the relevant tax year. The relevant tax year is the second last complete contribution (tax) year prior to the date on which a claim for benefit is made. Thereafter a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) provides for a supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is currently administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department. Each application for mortgage interest supplement is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 2057In the UK the Habitual Residence Test (HRT) is a two stage test, the first part being a test of the right to reside in the UK or other part of the Common Travel Area (which includes the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland) and the second part being a test of habitual residence in the place where right of residence is held. The first part of the test is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: 1I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the number of appeals waiting to be processed at present is 19,525 (a reduction of some 1,500 since July 2010), of which 1,681 refer to carer's allowance. These figures must be seen against a background where there has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007...

Pension Provisions (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: The presumption underpinning this question appears to be that, by enabling people within five years of retirement to reduce their employment and, presumably, have their income supplemented by the State, unemployed people will benefit from such an arrangement. Apart from the budgetary implications attaching to such an arrangement, there is no guarantee that job creation would result from such...

Pension Provisions (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for the question. He indicated he had submitted a proposal to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton. I would also be very happy to receive the submission. There is an issue of balancing. Many older people wish and need to work longer to build up their pension entitlements for when they are retired, particularly women who might have been out of...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am satisfied that there are sufficient supports in place to help people with their electricity, fuel and other utility bills. Energy poverty is a factor of income, energy prices and the thermal efficiency of the home. The most cost-effective means of protecting households from energy poverty is to improve the thermal efficiency of the home. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: In the 2011 budget, the previous Government included indicative headings of savings that it did not announce or, in some cases, specify. I have advised the Deputy of this fact previously. The Department is a major purchaser of utility services. Upon becoming Minister, I was surprised to learn that the Department did not get much in the way of discounts. The change to the telephone...

Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jul 2011)

Joan Burton: I am seeking it.