Results 9,741-9,760 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7th October 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: On 24 June 2015, the person concerned, advised the Department that the outstanding debt had been repaid by bank transaction. She was advised to submit evidence of that transaction. A written reminder issued on 6 July 2015. On receipt of evidence of the repayment, the overpayment debt will immediately be removed from the client’s record.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 13th April 2015. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector on 22 June 2015 for assessment of the level of care being provided, assessment of means and confirmation that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Waiting Times (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families. All first-time new FIS claims continue to be processed promptly on receipt with renewal applications being dealt with in advance of the expiry of their current payment. If an applicant is dissatisfied with a decision on their entitlement to FIS they can appeal against it to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Waiting Times (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families. To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in full time paid employment as an employee which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. The person concerned applied to have her FIS...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The EmployAbility service supports people with disabilities who wish to take up employment. The budget for 2015 provides €9.6 million to run the service. The average cost of providing support through the service is €2,900 per customer, so if the service was expanded to support an additional 1,000 customers, the estimated additional annual cost would be €2.9 million.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: At the end of May last, total Net Vote 37 expenditure for the Department of Social Protection was underspent by €147.6 million (3.1%) relative to profile. The underspend arises as a result of a lower requirement (€189.64 m) for an Exchequer Subvention to the Social Insurance Fund, higher (€7.91 m) than profiled Appropriations in Aid with both offset by higher than...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The estimated cost of increasing the one-parent family payment scheme income disregard to €120 in 2016 would be approximately €12 million. This figure is based on earnings data for relevant one-parent family payment recipients in January, 2015. It also takes account of the implementation of the final phase of the one-parent family payment reforms that took place on 2 July,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Statutory Sick Pay Scheme (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: Issues relating to sick leave generally and occupational sick pay arrangements for county councillors are solely a matter for the Minister of Environment, Community and Local Government. County councillors are public office holders. Public office holders pay PRSI at the Class K rate of 4% on their income as an office holder, provided that income exceeds €5,200 a year (€100...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Jul 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: Disability Allowance Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: In order to determine the circumstances of the person in question, his file was forwarded to his local Social Welfare Inspector. S/he will arrange to meet with the person concerned as soon as possible. A final decision on his entitlement to disability allowance will be given on receipt of the Social Welfare Inspectors report. The person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned claimed Illness Benefit from 2 September 2013. To qualify for this benefit certain PRSI contribution conditions must be satisfied. The person concerned is from Romania. From 1 January 2012 citizens of that country (and from Bulgaria) do not need a work permit to work here. However, if they worked in Ireland prior to 2012 they were legally required to have a valid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: I am glad to say that earlier this year, I approved measures to facilitate engagement between the trustees of a pension scheme and groups representing the interests of pensioner and deferred scheme members. I signed the Occupational Pensions Schemes (Section 50 and 50B) (Amendments) Regulations, 2015 and approved Pensions Authority guidance to facilitate this change. The change to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The final phase of the one-parent family payment scheme reforms took place on 2 July, 2015, when the maximum child age threshold for the scheme was reduced to 7 years for all recipients. On that day, the Department supported all affected customers to transition to an alternative income support payment, including the jobseeker’s transitional payment, the jobseeker’s allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: On 24th June 2015, Liberty Insurance announced 250 redundancies in their Cavan and Blanchardstown offices. Immediately on learning of the proposed redundancies, officials from the Department of Social Protection contacted Liberty Insurance in both Cavan and Blanchardstown. From 6th July to 9th July 2015 a number of information events will be provided by officials of the Department on site...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Applications (7 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been receiving supplementary welfare allowance from this Department since 28 August 2014. However, there is no record in the Department of an application from him for the 2014-15 fuel allowance scheme being received or being refused. If there are any additional details available and they are provided to the Cork Street Intreo Centre officials there will follow up...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 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 30 June 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...

Order of Business (2 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: The regulations on dogs are long overdue.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: If the Deputy is objecting to dealing with regulations on dogs, she is wrong.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2015)

Joan Burton: For people who care about animals, it is. There are people here who care about how animals are treated in this country.