Results 7,421-7,440 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The overall concern of Government in its Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.675 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2015, representing approx. 34.4% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic changes, the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on...

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

Joan Burton: The Department pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package to 416,000 customers, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2015. The electricity and gas allowance is currently €35 per month. There have been no reductions to this allowance in recent budgets. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: A bonus of 75% of the normal weekly payment was paid in December 2015 to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. For clients in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, long-term is defined as over 15 months or over 390 days of unemployment. As the person concerned had not been in receipt of a payment for the required period, she is not eligible for the payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Property Tax Administration (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 allows for a person who is liable for the Local Property Tax, and who is in receipt of certain social protection payments, to have Local Property Tax deducted from their payments. Currently the following longer term schemes have been specified by the Revenue Commissioners for the deduction at source of the Local Property Tax (LPT) -State pension...

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 from the person concerned on the 8 September 2015. 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 23 June 2015. The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer (DO) decided that the evidence submitted did not indicate that the care recipient requires continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily...

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

Joan Burton: The application for disability allowance, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision. The person in question requested a review of the decision by a deciding officer (DO) and submitted additional evidence for consideration. The review has now been concluded by a DO but the outcome is that the...

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

Joan Burton: The following table contains the information requested. NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT INTO SUSPECTED LEAKING OF PERSONAL DETAILS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND OUTCOME YEAR NO OF INVESTIGATIONS NO OF INVESTIGATIONS WHERE BREACH CONFIRMED NO OF INVESTIGATIONS WHERE NO BREACH CONFIRMED NO OF CASES WHERE SUSPECTED BREACH STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION 2011 27 7 19 1 2012 22 9 13 0 2013 22 9...

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

Joan Burton: I confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of disability allowance (DA) from 23 September 2004 to 19 May 2015. Following a review of entitlement, it was established that the circumstances of the person in question had changed and that the person concerned had means not previously disclosed to the department. On 4 December 2015, a deciding officer made a revised decision that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: All changes in circumstances should be immediately notified to this Department. The client concerned should provide up to date payslips in order for their rate of entitlement to Rent Supplement to be accurately re-assessed.

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 to 131, inclusive, together. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the disability allowance appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

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

Joan Burton: The State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working life...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The service provider to which this question relates has held a contact with the community services programme (CSP) to support the operation of a community facility and to operate a telephone, home visiting and handyman service to elderly residents in the surrounding parishes. The community centre operates a schedule of social and entertainment events and activities. Financial support was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 03 June 2015. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: A bonus of 75% of the normal weekly payment was paid in December 2015 to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. For clients in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, long-term is defined as over 15 months or over 390 days of unemployment. As the person concerned had not been in receipt of a payment for the required period, he was not eligible for the payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (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 and related overlapping payment legislation. Concurrent payment of illness benefit, at the full rate,to recipients of widows, widowers and surviving civil partners pensions and one-parent family (including deserted wives) payment has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Intreo Case Officers (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: At the end of October 2015, the total number of Case Officers (whole-time equivalents), including vacancies, stood at 554. The number of Case Officers assigned to a given area is kept under review in the context of local demand for services. Case Officers provide activation and case management services to a range of clients, including jobseekers under 25 years of age. The number of...

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: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 13 November 2015. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.