Results 6,241-6,260 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 623,607 families in respect of some 1.19 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Parental Leave (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Under the Parental Leave Acts, a civil servant is entitled to force majeure leave, which is leave with pay for urgent family reasons owing to the injury or illness of an immediate relative. Entitlement to force majeure leave is limited to circumstances where the immediate presence of the officer is indispensable, at the place where the ill or injured person is situated. In determining...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Leave (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Maternity benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions in order to obviate the need for them to work pre and post-delivery of their baby. The original scheme was introduced in 1970 and was extended to include self-employed mothers with effect from June 1997. In 2016 it is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible and that backlogs in claims are kept to a minimum. Each scheme area continuously monitors and reviews claim processing operations to ensure that customers are responded to as quickly as possible. Processing times vary by scheme but this principally reflects the fact that the eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief Application (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The administration of the mortgage interest relief scheme is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners and any changes to current arrangements is a matter for the Minister for Finance. The most appropriate way in which families experiencing mortgage difficulties can be supported is through on-going engagement with their lender to explore sustainable solutions. The Money Advice and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 19.0% in March 2016 (as estimated by CSO, compared to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Carer's Leave Act 2001 allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. An employee is entitled to take carer’s leave of at least 13 weeks up to a maximum of 104 weeks. Carer's leave from employment is unpaid but the Carer’s Leave Act ensures that those who propose to avail of carer's...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: This Department is the main provider of funding for social need in Ireland. In 2016, it is expected that expenditure on income support schemes to support the unemployed, lone parents, people with a disability and older people will be €19.6 billion, despite the requirements for fiscal consolidation measures. The Department is not a direct funder of social programmes delivered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together. Entitlements under the social welfare system are primarily based on a number of defined contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood. There are two basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system. Firstly there is the contributory principle which links the PRSI contributions that a person has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (20 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: An application for family income supplement (FIS) was submitted by the person concerned on 29 September 2015. That application was disallowed on the grounds that the net weekly assessable earnings exceeded the prescribed income level for the number of people in the family. Following additional information being provided by the claimant regarding additional eligible children attending...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: The Labour Party passionately believes in progressive politics. That is why we believe any programme for Government should include an ambitious housing package to address the crisis in the sector.

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: We put the money there, and the House will have the opportunity to debate it. Any programme for Government should also include an absolute commitment to eradicating child poverty and putting in place the structures and policies needed to make this ambition a reality.

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: It should also include a commitment to increase the minimum wage progressively to deliver a living wage for all working people and to improve conditions at work and the law on work for working people-----

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: -----reducing the cost of living for families across Ireland through supporting child care costs, recognising the need to reduce carbon emissions, repealing the eight amendment-----

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: -----and having, from the Thirty-second Dáil, real tax justice and reform. We have seen the revelations from Panama. We must ensure individuals and firms pay their fair share of tax, no more and no less. In light of the failure to produce a programme for Government that addresses these issues in a serious way, the Labour Party is not in a position to support any of the candidates for...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: We need responsible parties to allow for the provision of a Government and to put our country first. Those who have a mandate to form a Government should do so. Members talk about why people voted for them.

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Where parties have the numbers, people voted for them to form a Government. They should go and do it.

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: We will not interrupt.

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: When the Dáil last met to debate this issue, the Labour Party made clear our position. The process around forming a government has left a lot of people scratching their heads. The Dáil is meeting again today despite no clear outcome of meetings between the two biggest parties and the Independents. There is no agreed programme for Government and no evidence of any arrangement that...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Apr 2016)

Joan Burton: Sinn Féin continues to put the interest of the party-----