Results 12,101-12,120 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The provisions governing the assessment of means for disability allowance (DA) purposes are contained in Part 1 & 2 of Schedule 3 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Where a person is married, the means of the spouse are taken into account as well as the claimant's own means. All DA recipients are treated equally in relation to this provision, regardless of their specific...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (3 Feb 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 66...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21 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: Registration of Births (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Registrar General is responsible for the management and control of the Civil Registration Service. This includes the provision and maintenance of the Civil Registration Computer System. Prior to December 2014 the Managed Services required to support the Civil Registration Computer System was provided by an external service provider at a substantial cost to the taxpayer. In 2014 it was...

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

Joan Burton: This matter is the subject of ongoing investigation in my 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: Social Welfare Overpayments (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department has no record of overpayment deductions for this client as information required to determine and process a possible overpayment remains outstanding. The Department will now correspond again with the client to request the outstanding information. If no reply is received the Department will progress the overpayment process based on information to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The issues raised by the person concerned related to his employment, his employer in this case being the Community Employment (CE) sponsor. The Department has no role in relation to the employment of staff participating on CE. As provided for in the Contract Agreement between the Department and a CE Sponsoring Body; CE employers are at all times an independent contractor for all purposes and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and guardians payment (contributory). Self-employed workers may also access social welfare supports by establishing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Refunds (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications for PRSI refunds are processed as quickly as possible. I am aware of the backlog in claims for PRSI refunds and my Department is actively working on reducing this backlog. If the Deputy has a particular case that he wishes to query I would be happy to have my officials...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection will administer, on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, a €100 water conservation grant for households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process. The grant will be paid to the registered householders annually, in respect of their primary dwellings, with the first...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The Department hopes to commence rolling out a new Health and Social Care Programme for CE participants during the course of this year. This programme will ensure participants have access to qualifications in the health and social care sector in order to take up employment opportunities in this area and to support local service delivery. The Department has been consulting with key...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the Public Services Card (PSC) to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the free travel pass and the social services card of this Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families. At the end of December 2014, there were 50,306 people in receipt of FIS, of which 3,902 (7.8%) are recorded as public servants.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: Social impact assessment is an evidence-based methodology to estimate the likely distributive effects of policy proposals on poverty and social inequality, including impacts on family types, lifestyle groups, and gender. The Department of Social Protection has published an integrated social impact assessment of Budgets 2013, 2014 and earlier this week of Budget 2015, using the ESRI...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (3 Feb 2015)

Joan Burton: In general, PRSI contribution classes are decided by the nature of a person’s employment. Social insurance contributions paid under Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) by employers, employees, the self-employed and voluntary contributors are collected primarily through the income tax system and are paid into the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). In general the current system of...

Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: In his statement, the Ceann Comhairle said: "A matter shall not be raised in such an overt manner so that it appears to be an attempt by the Dáil to encroach on the functions of the court or a judicial tribunal." There was evidence of Standing Order 57(2), but the Ceann Comhairle has made it clear in that statement that his legal advice was guidance in respect of Standing Order...

Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I understand that the Government Whip has requested a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. The Ceann Comhairle, who rules this House, is absolutely independent in the exercise of his functions. We would have welcomed the debate just as much as the Opposition. However, if the Committee on Procedure and Privileges meets, as requested by the Government Whip, perhaps the...

Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I appreciate that this issue is of importance to Deputies on all sides of the House. Frankly, both parties in government would have welcomed a debate on this issue. That is why, in ordering the business of the House for the week, we provided for such a debate. As the statement read by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle indicates, however, the Ceann Comhairle had a legal contact from the former...

Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: It was agreed.

Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Joan Burton: I appreciate from what Deputy Martin is saying that he has only just been told about this important issue.