Results 10,121-10,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The approach which is being taken in the Gender Recognition Bill 2014, whereby gender recognition for person aged 18 years or more will be based on a system of self-determination without the need for supporting statements from a medical practitioner, is very much in line with the approach advocated by, amongst others, the Council of Europe, advocacy groups within the transgender community,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Expenditure on the one parent family payment (OFP) scheme is estimated to be €607 million in 2015 with almost 70,000 recipients. However, despite considerable investment, the scheme has not succeeded in preventing lone parents from being significantly more at risk of consistent poverty than the population as a whole. The reforms seek to address the long-term social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Payments (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 21 May 2015. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on 2 July 2015. Any arrears due from 21 May 2015 to 1 July 2015 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on 15 June 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. An appeal was opened on 12 May 2015 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Meetings (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I have had no engagements and meetings, either public or private, official or unofficial with Mr. Denis O'Brien. I would have encountered him informally at a business function in New York, on official St. Patrick's Day business representing the Government. Given my position involves regular interaction with the media, I have met and spoken with senior editorial staff and journalists of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been contacted by the Community Welfare Service to undertake a review of her rent supplement payment. She will be notified of the outcome when the review has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Post Office Network (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168, 172 and 178 together. Successive Governments and this one most notably, have consistently stated their commitment to maintaining the post office network as set out in the Programme for Government. The post office is seen as a key piece of financial and social infrastructure for both urban and rural areas. Part of the strength of the post office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (16 Jun 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. To qualify for IP claimants must, inter alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete...

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

Joan Burton: The application from the person in question was disallowed on the grounds that her weekly means were in excess of the statutory limit allowable in her case. The person concerned was advised of her right to seek a review and to submit an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. To date, she has not availed of either option.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Disability allowance arrears are currently being held as the person concerned has an outstanding debt. Our debt recovery unit will be contact with the person in question shortly for proposals on the recovery of this debt. When the repayment has been agreed, the debt recovery unit will then issue any residual arrears.

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

Joan Burton: Appeal processing times peaked in 2011 when the average processing time for an appeal of carers allowance was 38.8 weeks. In 2012 the average processing time reduced to 33.8 weeks. Further improvements were achieved in 2013, when the average appeal processing time reduced to 28.5 weeks. As at the end of May 2015, the average time taken to process a carer’s allowance appeal has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (16 Jun 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. To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete...

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

Joan Burton: A review of this carers allowance claim for the person in question was carried out in relation to hours worked outside the home. It is a condition for receipt of carer’s allowance that you must not be employed outside the home in excess of 15 hours per week. Based on the evidence submitted, it was decided that the person in question was not entitled to carers allowance for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 8th May 2015. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 12 weeks to process an...

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

Joan Burton: Entitlement to disability allowance is based on satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. The person must be between the age 16 and 66. In order to qualify for the scheme on medical grounds a person must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect which has continued or may reasonably be expected to continue for a period of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 February 2015. 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 Benefits Eligibility (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €3.01 billion. A jobseeker’s payment is paid for days of unemployment where the person is not in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Parliamentary Questions (16 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection (DSP) receives the highest number of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) of all Government departments. For example, since March 2011 to date,, approximately 41,000 PQs have been tabled to DSP. The vast majority, some 70% of those tabled, refer to the status of social welfare claims by individuals in relation to the variety of schemes administered by the...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 23rdMarch 2015 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

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

Joan Burton: The person in question is in receipt of disability allowance (DA) and not participating in the back to education programme. Entitlement to DA is based on satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. The person must be between the age 16 and 66. As the person concerned is in receipt of DA, the income from employment will be assessed as means. If the person’s doctor...