Results 7,461-7,480 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The issue of maintenance payments is first and foremost a private matter for the person concerned, and if the matter cannot be resolved, for the courts through family law provisions. If a court order for maintenance is not being complied with, it is possible to apply to the Court for an enforcement order. In the interim, if a social welfare payment is reduced on foot of a court order for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The data sought by the Deputy, where available, is set out in the following tables with the latest figures. The work place equipment adaptation grant scheme, the employee retention grant scheme and the disability awareness training scheme are demand led schemes that form part of the reasonable accommodation fund for the employment of people with disabilities. Given the small size of each of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a 75% Christmas Bonus, which is being paid this week to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare beneficiaries, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, and carers. Long-term recipients of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) or Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) are eligible for the bonus if they have been in receipt of their payment for 15...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Disability allowance arrears, less any overlapping payment received in the period, will issue to the person in question by their chosen payment method on 2 December 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Payments (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned requested a review of the award date for her application on the 27 October 2015. The award date was revised on review and notification of this decision issued on 26 November 2015. Arrears due will issue with her regular payment on 15 December 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Following a review of carer’s allowance, the person concerned has been awarded an increase of the allowance with effect from 23 December 2010. The first payment at the increased rate was issued to the person’s nominated post office on 26 November 2015. Arrears of allowance due from 23 Dec 2010 to 18 November 2015 will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: This matter is being examined in the Department and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy within the next couple of days.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (2 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: There has been an increase in the number of DA applications being received and decided over the past 18 months. This has led to an increase in the time being taken to process and issue arrears to successful applicants who were in receipt of another weekly social welfare payment during the period covered by the arrears. The Department keeps waiting times for its various payments under...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I thank the committee for the opportunity to present a Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Social Protection. I propose to briefly outline the overall expected financial position of the Department post the budget and the main reasons for the Supplementary Estimate. I am seeking a Supplementary Estimate of €299 million for 2015. This is necessary for two reasons, first, to...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I can only assume the absence of the rest of the Opposition is because by and large they are happy enough with the very positive changes in social welfare and they have left it in the good hands of Deputy O'Dea to speak for all of them. Many of the changes we made are positive for many people. The additional money that is being sought for the jobseeker's allowance is €120.11...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: First, I thank Deputy Conaghan for his comments. On carer's benefits and restoration of the respite care grant, which I am pleased to have been able to provide for, expenditure on carers in 2012 was €772 million. Expenditure in this regard for this year was €866 million. It is estimated that expenditure in this area will be approximately €911 million, which is close to...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: I did not answer the question that Deputy Byrne asked about jobseeker's allowance and the Christmas bonus. The Christmas bonus is paid under the same terms and conditions under which it has always been paid. It is paid to long-term recipients of social welfare payments. This means it covers the full range of social welfare payments. Obviously, people associate it most with pensioners and...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Deputy Ryan asked about the Social Insurance Fund, which is built on people's contributions being sufficient to pay for their needs when they retire, particularly in relation to the State retirement pension, the payments made to widows and maternity benefit. This will also apply to paternity leave in the future. They are the principal payments out of the Social Insurance Fund. It is...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Yes, absolutely.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: We keep all of the schemes constantly under review. We will set out our aims and ambitions when we are launching the next Pathways to Work programme within the next week or two. I appreciate that the composition of the schemes has changed to take account of two groups that need to be focused on - younger people under the age of 25 and older people who lost their jobs at the height of the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: On what page is that?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: It is anticipated that there will be an underspend of €3 million in the Department's budget at the end of the year under this heading. This is because the Department was unable to source staff to fill critical posts that became vacant, primarily due to retirements. It is anticipated that about 170 staff will have retired by the end of this year and due to the moratorium on...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: Yes. We propose to continue them on an ongoing basis. The employment control framework figure at the end of the year is 6,350, and we also have 20 people from the Garda and 218 people working on the public services card, which gives a total of 6,588. The actual number at the end of October was 6,550. Even now we are recruiting in or around another 40 people. We expect that process to be...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: No. "Agency services" relates to JobPath. The original Estimate for JobPath for 2015 was €12 million. At the time it was thought that JobPath would commence earlier in 2015 than turned out to be the case. There were many complications around contracts, tendering and so on. Provision was made for a more aggressive roll-out schedule, with multiple locations going live over a shorter...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Joan Burton: The critical reason was that the actuarial review-----