Results 30,041-30,060 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: To qualify for jobseeker's allowance a person must be available for and actively seeking full-time work. The person concerned had been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance from 8 November 2010. During a review of his claim he indicated that he was not available for full-time work. His claim was disallowed with effect from 30 March 2011. An appeal has been lodged and he will be informed of...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir maidir leis an cheist seo. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. Community employment has long been an important initiative for persons who are unemployed. As with a number of other interventions, community employment has evolved over a number of years, with eligibility broadened to provide working opportunities for a wide...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Senator can take it as a given that all existing schemes will be kept under constant review. As stated, an unprecedented number of unemployed persons are looking for opportunities. Although the community employment scheme has its critics who say it is not sufficiently close to the labour market, many of us realise it offers very valuable experience to certain individuals in communities...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for your remarks. It is very nice to be back in the Seanad today. I acknowledge Senator Pat O'Neill's interest in this area and thank him for raising the matter. It affords me an opportunity to inform the House of the roll-out of TÚS, a work placement initiative with the community and voluntary sectors. This will be an important initiative for persons who are...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 139 together. Tús is a community work placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. Some €30 million has been provided in the Department's Estimates in 2011 to fund the roll-out of the initiative. This initiative is delivered through the network of...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rural social scheme (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. Each participant is paid the equivalent of the maximum rate of the social welfare payment they are entitled to plus...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rural social scheme (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. Each participant is paid the equivalent of the maximum rate of the social welfare payment they are entitled to receive...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned is currently in receipt of a basic weekly supplementary welfare allowance payment.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 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 Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The Department operates a range of schemes which can, subject to conditions, be paid to individuals as an extra allowance, or as a separate payment, in addition to their standard social welfare payment. The payments include living alone increase, allowances under the supplementary welfare allowance schemes, household benefits, fuel allowance, respite care grant and island allowance. In the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned does not have a current social welfare claim. If they wish to make a claim, the person should contact their local Social Welfare office where they can discuss their entitlements. Further details and information is available on the Department of Social Protection website www.welfare.ie .

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is currently in receipt of carer's allowance in respect of one caree. On 28 October 2010 she was refused carers allowance in respect of a second caree on the grounds that the Department's Medical Assessor expressed the opinion that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made an application for carer's allowance which was received on the 5th October 2010. On the 28th January 2011 the application was refused on the grounds that a medical assessor of this department expressed the opinion that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in social welfare legislation. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 2011)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 23 August 2010. She was assessed with weekly means of €393.46 derived from her spouse's insurable employment. As this exceeded the statutory limit for payment of disability allowance for a family of her size, her claim was disallowed. A letter issued to her on 25 January 2011 advising her of this decision. If there has been any...

Employment Support Services (31 May 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to discuss this matter. Tús is a community work-placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who have been unemployed for more than a year. The placements will be with community-sector organisations to support the delivery of their services. The Government has allocated €30 million...

Written Answers — Pension Fund Assets: Pension Fund Assets (31 May 2011)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together. Irish pension schemes hold a variety of asset types and in line with the practice of diversification of assets these investments are held both in Ireland and abroad. Industry estimates indicate that approximately 60 per cent of pension fund assets are held in equities with approximately 30 per cent held in bonds. While the exact...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (31 May 2011)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the HSE based on the particular circumstances of the case....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (31 May 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 Employment Scheme: Community Employment Scheme (31 May 2011)

Joan Burton: As Minister for Social Protection I do not have a role in the administration of individual cases in regard to the operation of the Community Employment programme. The administration of individual cases under CE is a day-to-day matter for FÁS as part of its responsibility under the Labour Services Act, 1987, as amended by Part 3 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010. I...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (31 May 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...