Results 12,841-12,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I do not have the quote to hand but the FitzGerald report from the ESRI clearly demonstrates that during the course of the budgets from this Government, there has been progressive improvement in people's circumstances.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: This is the work of the ESRI and I would be perfectly happy to have a detailed chat with the Deputy about it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy can research it. Professor FitzGerald sets out very clearly his conclusions, which are not mine. When we examine the Estimates in the new year, I would be happy to have that debate. I do not have all the material with me now.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: Many of those figures have been subject to some revision, so the Deputy might examine Professor FitzGerald's report from the ESRI.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy should ask his former leader and the former Taoiseach and he will tell him.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: It is a transitional period until the child is 14 years of age.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: It means the person will be encouraged to take part in activation, particularly in respect of education because many of the educational opportunities, as Deputy Conaghan knows, are based on school times and are particularly suitable to people who may be parenting alone. They have an enhanced range of opportunities. The number of the organisations that work with people parenting on their...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: Broadly, it is on a one-to-one case management basis. If a person has not been working in paid employment for a period of time, the journey back to a job generally involves working on a one-to-one basis with the individual. We begin by bringing people into a group engagement and this is followed by one-to-one meetings with staff in the Department of Social Protection and the individual...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: From budget 2009 to budget 2011, inclusive, the full year value of the welfare expenditure reductions introduced by the previous Government was over €2.4 billion. To recall for the benefit of Deputy Willie O'Dea, it included the abolition of the Christmas bonus in 2009, weekly reductions in all working age welfare payments in 2010 and 2011 and weekly reductions in jobseeker's...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: It is because I would like to see women in Ireland presenting themselves not in terms of their parenting status but in terms of themselves as human beings who are involved in their families and communities. The first thing a politician says about somebody in a relationship is not whether he or she is married. There is an intense amount of stereotyping among some people in the political...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: The key point is that if they are a jobseeker on a transitional basis, they will be encouraged to take up all the activation opportunities we have created. From my own enormous experience in this area, I know that the road back to successful employment is through education, training and work experience. I know so many people who have done that successfully.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. On the issue of lone parents, Deputy Collins asks how come there are 1.9 million people at work. That is a great achievement for the Irish economy.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I did not ask that.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: The figure today - 1.9 million people at work - is a great achievement for the economy. I know enough people in the Deputy's constituency to know that there are many people in that area going back to work. They may not all go to the Deputy and tell her they are going back to work. However, the figures show they are. That is something we should all celebrate. This leads me to make a...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: That is-----

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: Well then I suggest the Deputy use it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I accept what the Deputy is saying but Deputy O'Dea would complain if we spent money on a nice wing-binder type of consolidated Act which, as a member of the legal profession, he would be used to. It certainly would be useful but we do not have the funds as yet to do that.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “Definitions 1.In this Act—“Act of 2012” means the Social Welfare Act 2012; “Principal Act” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.”.The purpose of these amendments is to retain the earnings disregard in the case of recipients of one-parent family...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: Yes, that is the way it would have been. We had a detailed discussion in the Seanad at the time and I said I would keep this under review so I am delighted to say we have the resources. I am sure the Deputy has already heard the good news that the rate of unemployment has fallen below 11 and that 1.9 million people are at work. Many of those going back to work are lone parents. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Charges Administration (26 Nov 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 43 together. The €100 water conservation grant for households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process will be a Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government scheme. That Department will be responsible for all aspects of policy in regard to the scheme, including eligibility. The...