Results 29,881-29,900 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The range of benefits and pensions to which different groups of workers may establish entitlement reflects the risks associated with the nature of their work. This in turn reflects the rate of contribution payable. Self-employed people are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% and are consequently eligible for a narrower range of benefits than general employees who, together with their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive (HSE) payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Fuel allowance is now payable for 32 weeks and for the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing on 29 June 2011. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned was refused an exceptional needs payment for assistance with an ESB bill. The HSE further advised that the person concerned has appealed the decision to the HSE Appeals Office but no decision has been made on his appeal. The HSE Appeals Office will contact the person concerned when a decision has been made on his appeal

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection funds the rural social scheme (RSS) and the community employment programme (CE). The purpose of the RSS 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 31 May 2011. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that there is no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to make an application for rent supplement she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 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 (15 Jun 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 Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned made an application for rent supplement on 17 May 2011. The HSE requested further information from the person concerned in order to process her application. The HSE will make a decision on her application when the requested information has been provided.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the Tús scheme is to focus on those people who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is at present confined to those on the Live Register for 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those currently affected by long-term unemployment. Persons already in employment are not eligible for these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jun 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 (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The community welfare service in the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that they have not received a formal application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the evidence, has allowed the Jobseeker's Allowance appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that it was contacted by the person concerned seeking assistance with repair work on his house in May 2011. The HSE advised that no formal application for a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was received. The person concerned was advised to contact Kilkenny County Council directly as he is a tenant in a shared ownership scheme.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: In 2010 there were 191,144 jobseeker's allowance claims awarded. 5,506 cases were appealed and of these 534 were either awarded or partially awarded by appeals officers. To date in 2011 there were 69,235 jobseeker's allowance claims awarded, 1,789 appeals and 453 awarded or partially awarded by appeals officers. These data show that over 99% of awards are made without referral to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Table: New claims average processing times in weeks: 2007 to (end-April) 2011. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 State Pension (Contributory) 11 11 8 8 5 State Pension (Non-Contributory) 8 9 8 8 9 The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. All scheme areas are subject to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. All applicants - regardless of nationality - for the following payments are required to be habitually resident in the State: · Jobseeker's Allowance · State Pension (Non-Contributory for persons aged over 66)...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Every effort is made to decide on the entitlement of any individual person as close to their eligibility date as possible. However, there are cases where delays will be experienced, this can occur because of a delay within the Department in processing the claims or a delay on behalf of the customer in submitting information. Processing times vary across schemes because of both the volume of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (15 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department has a broad-ranging and comprehensive control strategy. The emphasis is to minimise risks of fraud and eliminate incorrect payments. Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. The Department has in the last number of years been engaged in data matching with other Government...