Results 11,641-11,660 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Second Stage (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." When I introduced the Social Welfare Bill 2014 in this House last November, I told Deputies that my aim was to begin the process of restoring living standards for families, older people and low and middle-income workers. I was pleased to be able to provide for modest increases in child benefit and the living alone allowance from the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Review (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: There are currently approximately 800,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million per annum. The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme. The qualifying payments for those aged under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: Part IV of the Pensions Act sets out the funding requirement which applies to funded defined benefit pension schemes. This is often referred to as the funding standard. This standard requires the trustees of a defined benefit pension scheme to maintain sufficient resources in the scheme to meet the liabilities of the scheme in the event of the wind up of a scheme. Where a scheme fails to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (3 Mar 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 25 February 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: An application for disability allowance was received from the person in question by the Department on 11 December 2014. On 6 February 2015, while the medical eligibility of the person in question was being assessed by a deciding officer, the person in question submitted additional medical evidence for consideration. This additional evidence is currently being reviewed. Once a decision has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The first named person is qualified based on his PRSI contribution record for treatment benefits, including benefits under the hearing aid scheme. His wife is also likely to qualify for a hearing aid grant as a dependent spouse, based on his social insurance record. They should both submit the relevant application forms to the treatment benefit section for approval if they wish to avail of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14 January 2015. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (3 Mar 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 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 for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: This matter is the subject of ongoing investigation in the Department. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the likely outcome of these investigations at this stage.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (3 Mar 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 over their working life from when...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Support Services Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: In addition to basic income support, the Department provides a wide range work related supports for people with disabilities. These include the wage subsidy scheme, the EmployAbility (supported employment) programme and the employment support programme for people with disabilities. The Department also supports the willing able mentoring project. The wage subsidy scheme (WSS) is an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on the 26th February 2015 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st January 2015. The first payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will issue on 16th March 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees, with families, who have low earnings. To qualify the applicant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for at least 38 hours per fortnight (19 hours per week). In addition, the weekly family income must be below the threshold for the particular family size. There is no requirement for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been contacted by his local Community Welfare Officer and issued with an application form for an exceptional needs payment. A decision will be made on the application, when the completed form, along with the relevant invoice, is received.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The persons concerned were receiving a number of different social welfare payments during 2013. Due to the complexities involved it is not possible, unfortunately, to provide the information requested within the allotted timeframe. However a detailed statement of amounts paid to the persons concerned is currently being prepared as expeditiously as possible and will issue to the deputy by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Legal Costs (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department made no payments to the law firms mentioned in respect of legal fees for services rendered to it in the years 2011 to 2014. The Department’s legal advisors are the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Attorney General. The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access maternity benefit, adoptive benefit, guardian’s payment and long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: I confirm that an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 10 October 2014. The application has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted his/her report to DA section, a decision will be made on the application and the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: People who have received an overpayment from the Department have a liability under law to refund the overpayment as they have received money to which they were not entitled. (Section 338 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended) refers). My Department has a responsibility to ensure that all overpayments are refunded in full. Social welfare overpayments arise where a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (3 Mar 2015)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all of the available evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The oral hearing of this case was held on 28 January 2015 and not on 07 January...