Results 30,301-30,320 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Expenditure Reviews (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: As I recall, the former Minister was Deputy Ó Cuív and the Government was made up of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. The critical issue was the provision in the Estimates for an expectation of 405,000 people on average to be on the register during 2011. As I stated, for the year to date the weekly average live register has been 441,000. Later today, my colleague, the Minister for...

Expenditure Reviews (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The reality is that when I came into the Department, the Department's estimates, which were the estimates of the previous Minister in the Department and the Minister for Finance in the previous Government, projected an unemployment figure of 405,000 in 2011. The actual figure has turned out to be 441,000 on average in the year to date. This is the major reason for the difference. The...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The then Minister for Finance announced the introduction of a community work placement initiative for up to 5,000 people in the Budget Statement to Dáil Éireann on 7 December 2010. The initiative, known as Tús, was launched on 21 December 2010 and work on developing the necessary implementation structures has been underway since then. Tús will provide short-term, quality work...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: I refer to the selection of people for this initiative. The only detailed information I have is the response to the two pilot studies that were undertaken. The Deputy might be interested to know that of 119 people, 100 of them, or 84%, replied to the invitation to participate. Only one person left the live register and 71% of those contacted expressed an interest in participating. This...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The scheme, as I inherited it, and provided for in the budget for this year, has an expenditure of €30 million. That makes provision for both the employment supervisors and for a top-up of €20 per week. I wish our financial circumstances allowed for a greater level but within the constraints of the budget that is all that has been made available. I am, however, encouraged by the level...

Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The challenge for this new Government is unlike any faced before. The priority of this Government is to get our economy moving, restore confidence, fix our banking system and support the protection and creation of jobs. The success of our economic plans will lay the foundation for the rest of our agenda for change and the jobs initiative being announced today is the first step in this...

Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for his remarks and I share his concerns about children who are experiencing poverty; all Members share that concern. I reiterate the commitment in the programme for Government on social welfare rates by both parties but resources are constrained. Before the budget for 2012, there will be a poverty impact study by the Department and in addition, a comprehensive review of...

Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The most important anti-poverty strategy the country has ever had will be to get people who are unemployed through no fault of their own back into a job. There are those in every town and village in Ireland who never expected or wished to be unemployed but who have lost their jobs or businesses. The primary job of this Government is to ensure people get back to work. That is the strongest...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's schemes provide income support for people who are seeking their first job or have lost work and are seeking alternative employment. A fundamental qualifying condition for the jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance is that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. To satisfy this condition, it is necessary for the person to demonstrate that he...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: With regard to the first part of his question the relevant legislation came into force in January 2011. However, for operational reasons the application of the provisions commenced in April 2011. I understand that currently a very small number of claimants are subject to the provisions. The number of people who have been affected so far amounts to seven. I remind the Deputy that people are...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: Yes, the rates were established by the previous Minister when the legislation was introduced. I wish to be clear on this matter. The vast majority of people who are registered as unemployed are anxious to find work and to return to work. However, it is equally important that, for instance, a very young person does not regard being on social welfare as a lifetime option. It is not good for...

Employment Support Services (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: I have been a public representative for nearly 20 years, having been a volunteer and activist knocking on doors. People have always raised the point about a one-stop-shop which would allow them go to one location to access the full range of their entitlements. The community welfare officers and the employment services division of FÁS will be integrated into my Department. In this way we...

Social Welfare Code (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: In determining entitlement to disability allowance, the social welfare code provides that the first €50,000 of capital is disregarded in the means assessment. Thereafter, weekly means are assessed at €1 per week for each €1,000 of capital between €50,000 and €60,000; at €2 per week for each €1,000 of capital between €60,000 and €70,000 and at €4 per week for each €1,000...

Social Welfare Code (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: Court funds that are held for the benefit of wards of court are private funds under the control of the Courts Service. Through its offices in the High, District and Circuit Courts, the service has responsibility for the management and investment of funds in court. The courts are subject only to the Constitution and the law and are independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. It...

Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The average time taken to award a claim for carer's allowance in the first quarter of 2011 was 12 weeks. A total of 3,815 applications were registered in the first quarter of 2011 and 3,883 were processed in the same period. Some 4,509 applications are awaiting a decision at present. Approximately 51,000 carer's allowance claims are in payment. I acknowledge that the time taken to process...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (5 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. Compliance is monitored by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Governments of countries that have ratified the Convention are required to report to, and appear before, this committee periodically to...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 May 2011)

Joan Burton: The Programme for Government states that a new National Employment and Entitlements Service will be established under the management of the Department of Social Protection. The objective is to integrate the employment support services currently provided directly by the Department of Social Protection with those currently provided by FÁS into a single service. This service will also process...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (5 May 2011)

Joan Burton: A Child Benefit claim was received from the person concerned under EU Regulations 883/04 and 987/09 on 30 July 2010. Child Benefit was awarded for the period 01/08/2010 to 31/08/2010 while she resided in the United Kingdom and her spouse was employed in Ireland. Her claim was disallowed from 01/09/2010 as it was decided that the person concerned did not satisfy the Habitual Residence...

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