Results 9,441-9,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: For the Deputy's information, in accordance with Government policy, my Department, through the Public Appointments Service (PAS), advertises for board vacancies as they arise where I as Minister for Social Protection have nominating rights. Applications are made through the dedicated website www.stateboards.ie and an assessment process is undertaken by PAS leading to the creation of a list of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The total current and capital funding allocated to the Department of Social Protection in 2015 and the year to date provisional position to the end of June 2015 is outlined in the table. YTD position to end of June 2015 - 2015 REV Estimate spend profile variance variance spend as % of estimate €m €m €m €m % % Current 19,353 9,777 9,688 89 0.9% 50.5%...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: My Department serves a wide and diverse group of customers including families, people in employment, unemployed people, people with disabilities, carers, older people and employers. The Department administers over 70 separate schemes and services which impact on the lives of almost every person in the State. The full range of online services which are currently available to customers is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 26 June 2015. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Administration (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: As part of the review process associated with the child benefit scheme a system generated continuing eligibility certificate was automatically issued to the person concerned on the 29 June 2015. The issue of this continuing eligibility certificate although it coincided with the claim review referred to had no relationship to that review and had been set to issue in any event as part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The 2014 Annual Report of the Department of Social Protection was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 22 May 2015, and was published on the 25 May 2015. The 2014 Annual Report is available for download on the Department’s website at .

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together. An initiative was announced in Budget 2015 in October 2014 to assist those in receipt of the Household Benefits Package and the Fuel Allowance Scheme from my Department with water costs. This would have involved a payment of €25 per quarter to approx. 660,000 customers at an estimated cost of €66 million in 2015. On 18...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Postal Services (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: Increasing the scale by which State payments are delivered directly into a client’s bank account is a key objective of a number of Government policies. These include the National Payments Plan, the Department’s Payment Strategy, the Public Sector Reform Plan, the e-Government Strategy and other Government policies. These policies support improved customer service, reflect...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum payment of €500, and are entitled to access long-term social insurance benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as guardians payment (contributory),...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: In order to qualify for jobseeker’s benefit a person must satisfy certain conditions. The governing legislation sets out certain circumstances where it is possible for a person to be engaged in insurable employment or self-employment and still satisfy the unemployment condition. One of these circumstances is where the person has what is defined as ‘subsidiary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 23rdJune 2015, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (16 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection does not seek or receive personal details from the Health Service Executive in order to establish Social Welfare entitlements.

Events at Ballymurphy in 1971 and Legacy Issues: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I welcome the opportunity to speak this afternoon on this important all-party motion. In particular, I welcome to Leinster House representatives from the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign and representatives of the relatives of the victims of the McGurk's Bar bombing. They have campaigned for many decades to finally see justice for the deaths of their parents, siblings, friends and pastors....

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: This is an historic and happy day. I am delighted to have the opportunity to be here on this auspicious occasion as we bring the Gender Recognition Bill through the final legislative step prior to its enactment. Senators will agree that we have all learned a huge amount over the past few years about the lived experience of transgender people in our communities. We have gained this insight...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The application for carer’s allowance (CA) in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 14 April 2015 and the first payment was issued to the person’s nominated post office on 30 April 2015. Any arrears of allowance due (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question has an outstanding debt...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: As I explained in my answer to the Deputy’s previous question of 8thJuly 2015, under current Social Welfare regulations, only superannuation deductions made through an employee’s salary, under the PAYE system, are allowable as deductions from gross income for FIS purposes. The definition of weekly family income for FIS purposes is provided for in Section 227 of the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Appeals (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has appealed the decision to disallow her claim for a one-parent family payment. The documentation submitted in support of her appeal has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector. On completion of the inspector investigation a report will issue to a Deciding Officer and a decision will issue to the client.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I wish to advise that all material required to give legal effect to the settlement reached in the Labour Relations Commission has been provided to the legal representatives of the members of Waterford Crystal pension schemes for their agreement and sign off. This material includes a Letter of Offer, Deed of Release and other support material. Before the letter of offer and associated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Administration (15 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a payment to parents for the support of their children. It is paid to some 615,000 families in respect of 1.18 million children, with an expenditure of approximately €1.9 billion in 2014. In order to ensure that child benefit is only paid to eligible families, a policy of issuing continuing eligibility certificates to parents commenced in 2008 and is still in...