Results 12,501-12,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The proposal is also an insult to people such as pensioners in terms of the relatively modest amount they receive, which I wish as a country we had the resources to improve. We were able to partially restore the Christmas bonus by way of this year's budget. The reality of what Senator Cullinane is suggesting, even if from the best of motives, is that some people in the social welfare system...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: To return to the issue of the overpayments, as the Senator is aware, because he has raised this issue on a number of occasions, if a person had an overpayment in the region of €1,500 and the recovery of the overpayment was restricted so that the net social welfare payment being made could not go below the supplementary welfare allowance rate, as is suggested in this particular...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: As a consequence, there will no longer be a need for Irish Water to be listed as a specified body in Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act for the purposes of using the PPS numbers. Therefore, the only time that a householder will have to provide his or her PPS number is when, and if, he or she is registering for the €100 water conservation grant to be paid through the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I will take the last point first. As the Senator is aware, the Government has announced a revised package regarding Irish Water. It is a much more modest and affordable system for water charges. It puts in place the potential for the vital investment that has to go into improving our water system, providing everybody with clean healthy water and providing for very significant capital...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Senator is well aware that, as I said in direct response to his question, the PPS number is no longer required by Irish Water. However, if and when people wish to apply for a water conservation grant as with other payments from the Department of Social Protection or interaction with the Revenue Commissioners and the tax authorities in general, they would of course use their PPS number -...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: There was a question about the respite grant. The amount being spent on respite care was €752 million up to 2010 and that it will be almost €806 million in 2014, an increase of €53.9 million compared with when we came into office. That is an increase of 7.2%. As I am sure the Senator is aware, overall the number of caring recipients has increased from just over 76,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20thNovember 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The current average processing time taken to process disability allowance appeals decided by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20thNovember 2014, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board (CIB), assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes and people living on social welfare payments. In 2014 funding of some €18.6 million has been provided to MABS. Information on the waiting times in each MABS...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made a claim for jobseeker’s benefit on 12thAugust 2013. As part of the approval process the matter of his PRSI contribution record has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation. It is envisaged that this investigation will be progressed imminently, and as soon as it is, the person concerned will be contacted.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Meetings (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. The Management Board of my Department currently meets on a fortnightly basis. In addition to these meetings there is a formal weekly meeting scheduled between myself and the Secretary General. Both the Minister of State and I meet regularly with the senior management of the Department in relation to its business and related...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: To satisfy the eligibility criteria for the Christmas bonus, the person concerned must have been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for a minimum of 390 days on 26/11/2014, the commencement date of the payment week in which the bonus payment fell due. The person concerned had only been paid jobseeker’s allowance for 362 days up to this date and therefore does not qualify for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1980 and was paid annually (at varying rates) until it was abolished in 2009. I was pleased to be in the position to partially restore the bonus this year. A 25% bonus was paid in the first week of December to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of the fact that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Under the contract for the provision of cash payment services An Post are required to ensure that 95% of social welfare customers are within 3kms of an Outlet in an urban area, and 95% of social welfare customers are within 15kms of an Outlet in a rural area. I am advised that An Post, using the GeoDirectory database, verifies that this requirement is being met and even exceeded regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7thAugust 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 were received in the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29thSeptember 2014. 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: Invalidity Pension Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 23rd June 2014. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of additional evidence or new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: At present neither myself nor the Minister of State have any travel plans from now until the end of 2015. However, I would expect that we will be represented at meetings of EU employment and social affairs Ministers (EPSCO) which are due to take place in 2015. Decisions in that regard will be made nearer the dates of the meetings as attendance will depend on the agendas and other business...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period should be implemented on a phased basis. Starting...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 05thDecember 2014. 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...