Results 7,401-7,420 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Applications (9 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the principal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (9 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I wish to advise you that there were no changes to illness benefit in the recent budget announcement. Illness benefit is classed as a short term payment so the award of a Christmas bonus does not apply. The Department of Social Protection legislation provides that illness benefit can be paid for a maximum of 104 weeks (624 pay days) in respect of claims made from January 2009 onwards. As...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (9 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The person in question has been awarded a disability allowance payment with effect from 29 October 2014. First payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 30 December 2015. Arrears of DA due will issue in due course once any necessary adjustment is made in respect of other overlapping payments the person was getting in the interim and/or in respect of outstanding overpayment. I...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Relief Schemes (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Reference was made to small businesses and the development of a €5 million fund to assist them in the run-up to Christmas, when many businesses would have been anticipating an active and successful Christmas season. That fund will be administered on behalf of the Government through the Irish Red Cross. It will allow for maximum flexibility of the type described by a number of...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Relief Schemes (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I commiserate with all the individuals and families affected by the very difficult weather conditions. I visited Counties Kerry and Cork on Thursday and Friday. Anyone looking at the rivers in the area will have understood the amount of rain that has fallen in a short period and the difficulty this has presented. The Department of Social Protection closely monitors weather forecasts...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I am pleased to inform you that disability allowance arrears issued to the person in question on 2 December 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been in receipt of CA since 15 July 2010 and is on a reduced rate of payment based on her husband’s earnings. The person concerned will be requested to submit up to date information on her means so that her entitlement may be reviewed to ensure that it remains valid and correct.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 September 2015. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 4 November 2015 to confirm the number of hours worked by the applicant and to determine if adequate care was provided for the care recipient while the person concerned was working....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Illness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. One of the PRSI conditions is that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year, and only PRSI Classes A, E, H, and P...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Investigations (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: It is evident that the vast majority of social welfare recipients are legitimately entitled to the payments they receive. However social welfare fraud undermines public confidence in the entire social protection system as well as being unfair to other recipients of social welfare payments and to taxpayers. Control of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is one of the three key...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: It is the Department's policy to consider for prosecution cases of fraud against the social welfare system. The Department ensures that all cases that merit prosecution are forwarded for consideration of legal proceedings and must ensure that all necessary evidential proofs are available. In considering, or when referring, cases of social welfare fraud for legal proceedings the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of carer's allowance (CA) in respect of the care of her son since 2012. I confirm that on the 27 October 2015 the department received an application for CA from the person concerned in respect of a second care recipient, her daughter. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Meetings (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the range of my remit as Minister I receive representations, including requests for meetings from a broad range of sources, including members of the Oireachtas, local and voluntary groups and private individuals and companies. I meet with a wide number of groups and organisations in the normal course of my duties both formally and informally....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Photography services are used, in conjunction with some press releases and conferences, to communicate the Department’s initiatives, schemes and services to customers and to the regional and national media. The procurement of these photography services is carried out in accordance with national and EU procurement procedures and since March 2012, the Department has been procuring...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Relations Contracts Data (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: In line with Department of Social Protection policy, the press office deals with all media queries and public relations matters. It is the Department’s policy to use in-house resources as much as possible and to restrict the use of external firms to a minimum. During the period referred to by the Deputy, the Department has used the services of one external public relations firm for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing a high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers Data (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The amount spent by the Department of Social Protection on special advisors for the years 2007-2015 is outlined in the attached tabular statement. Costs include basic salary and employer’s liability with regard to pay related social insurance. SPECIAL ADVISORS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION 2007 TO 2015 YEAR SPECIAL ADVISORS TOTAL SALARY T&S ANNUAL COST 2015 ( to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The cost of increasing the Living Alone Allowance to €15 and €20 per week is €60.5 million and €110.8 million, respectively, in a full year.