Results 12,561-12,580 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Review (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am a strong supporter of plain English and plain Gaeilge forms. The forms we are discussing can have very significant income consequences for people but a certain amount of officialese is required. I am happy to do what the Deputy has requested. The stakeholders groups include carers and we meet carers associations regularly - I meet them several times a year in the Department and in...

Other Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Under Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, every citizen has the right to move and reside freely within the territories of the member states. Those rights can be exercised in accordance with the conditions and limits defined by the treaties and by the measures adopted thereunder. The conditions governing free movement and the right of residence are set out in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The freedom to move and reside freely within the territory of the member states of the EU is a fundamental right guaranteed under the EU treaties to all citizens. However, it is important that those availing of these freedoms are not intent on abusing the welfare systems of other counties and, specifically, the welfare system of this country. The right of residence afforded citizens from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department has been considering the implications of the case carefully. In the context of the forthcoming election in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom made a speech setting out his electoral position. These issues are of great significance to Ireland. We examine all of them carefully, particularly the Dano judgment. The consideration is still ongoing but...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: We keep the habitual residency condition under review constantly to ensure that only people who have established a strong link with the country can receive benefits. We continue to monitor that because, as the Deputy is aware, returning Irish people may have lived abroad in another country for a long period. Under the habitual residency condition, they must establish definite links with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Review (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The domiciliary care allowance scheme transferred to the Department of Social Protection in 2009 and is now paid to over 27,100 parents or guardians in respect of some 29,100 children at a cost of €110 million per annum. In addition, recipients of domiciliary care allowance get a further €38 million through the annual respite care grant. The number of children currently in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Insurance (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for the question. The treatment of workers involved in the fishing industry depends on whether they are regarded as an employee or self-employed or, if self-employed, are a share-fisherman-woman for social insurance purposes. A fisherman or woman who is paid a fixed wage or salary may be regarded as an employee of the boat owner or skipper and, similar to employees in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Insurance (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: With the weather in Donegal recently everybody appreciates that the vagaries of the weather can be very tough on people in the fishing industry. I hope the current weather does not cause too many problems. I understand the Deputy is talking about the boat owner-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Insurance (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: -----and that he would like the boat owner to have access to the class P insurance. We can certainly examine that. In 2012, for instance, 16 individuals opted to pay class P contributions. I do not know if the people the Deputy is describing are full-time fishermen or fishermen and farmers because they may have other social welfare connections. We would need to examine it on a case by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Insurance (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Insurance (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am certainly prepared to look at it because I know that people in the fishing industry work very hard, particularly the inshore fishermen. It is a tough occupation. There is not a vast amount of money in it except from time to time. However, if they decided to go with the class P contribution, and the Deputy is indicating they would accept paying the extra 4% on the terms and conditions,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: The secondment of 20 Gardaí to the Department to assist the SIU with fraud investigation work took effect from last Friday, 5 December having been agreed earlier this year with the Minister of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána. Eight of the officers will be located in Dublin with the others being assigned to various urban locations around the country. It is too early...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: There has been no change made to the entry requirements for Community Employment. The criteria for participating on CE are based on age and length of time in receipt of various qualifying social welfare payments. The general conditions are that an applicant needs to be in receipt of a relevant welfare payment for a minimum period of 1 year. The qualifying social welfare payments include...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: This year the Department will spend approximately €91.6 million on the farm assist scheme benefitting around 9,900 farmers each week. The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as retention of secondary benefits and access...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: There are approximately 71,800 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. The current rent limits came into effect from June 2013. Unlike the impression given in the question, there were no reductions applied to rent limits at that time. Importantly, rent limits in Dublin and Galway were increased, with Dublin limits increasing by a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I am keeping the matter regarding rent limits under consideration and the review being undertaken by the Department will be finalised shortly. Raising rent limits may not be the solution to the current problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and could impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers and students. The Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: This year the Department will spend approximately €91.6 million on the farm assist scheme and it is expected that 9,900 individuals will be in receipt of this payment each week. The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: A key objective of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1 October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. The Department has since re-engineered its business model to support the provision of integrated services across all business streams involved in the delivery of localised services...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: I should state at the outset that eligibility for Carer’s Allowance is not based on the type of impairment or disease but on the level of the care requirement consequent on the impairment. Carers’ Allowance is payable to those providing full-time care and attention to a care recipient where the recipient of care is aged 16 or over and so incapacitated as to require full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Reform (10 Dec 2014)

Joan Burton: In 2014 the Department will spend a total of almost €2 billion in respect of the three schemes mentioned, domiciliary care allowance (DCA), disability allowance (DA) and carer’s allowance (CA). The review of the continued entitlement of a former DCA recipient (parent/guardian) to CA is not dependent in any way on whether the child who turns 16 years either claims or is...