Results 13,341-13,360 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: In order for qualify for fuel allowance the applicant must satisfy a household means test. In addition to the applicant’s social welfare payment, the applicant and other members of their household must have a combined income not exceeding €100.00 per week, or combined savings/investments not exceeding €58,000. According to the records of the Department, the means of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department has not, to date, received an application for Rent Supplement from this client. The client should forward same to be assessed for entitlement to Rent Supplement to or to the Mid-Leinster Rent Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate State pension (contributory) based on an assessed yearly average of 19 contributions, covering the period July 1962 to December 2010. According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has no recorded contributions for the period 1967 to 1997. The person concerned has been requested on a number of occasions to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: As detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 135 of 17 September 2014, the client’s rent is well in excess of the maximum limit of €575 appropriate to his family composition and location. The Department is not aware of a rent reduction or alternative accommodation being sourced within the maximum applicable limit. Should this happen entitlement can be assessed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The client's Rent Supplement of €700 per month is in excess of the maximum limit of €500 applicable to their family composition and location. Following review, the client is requested to secure a rent reduction or source alternate accommodation within the maximum limits. The clients are being given the statutory allocation of 13 weeks to do so. Their Rent Supplement will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 58 together. The family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees with families, who have low earnings. It is a condition for receipt of FIS that the claimant must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them. A qualified child is one under the age of 18 or one between the ages of 18 and 22 who is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (23 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The agencies that operate under the aegis of the Department are the Pensions Authority and the Citizens Information Board. The Office of the Pensions Ombudsman also falls under the remit of the Department. There are no bonus payments made to any staff in the organisations concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (22 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for domiciliary care allowance in respect of three children in September 2014. These applications have been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of these opinions, a decision will be made in respect of each application by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (22 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty. The estimated expenditure on child benefit in 2014 is around €1.9 billion and it is currently paid to around 613,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children. Child benefit is paid up to and including the month of the child’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Rights (22 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department is committed to tackling all forms of shadow economy activity and, in this regard, Departmental inspectors carry out visits to a wide range of businesses, including building sites, as part of their on-going compliance operations. In many instances, such visits are undertaken jointly with other State agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners and the National Employment Rights...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (22 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Pathways to Work sets out the Government’s policy direction on labour market activation and is a key element of the Government’s strategy to get Ireland working again. The strategy outlined in Pathways is devised to ensure new job opportunities are made available to people on the live register with particular focus on the longer-term unemployed and that jobseekers are prepared...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2015 (22 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is not in receipt of a payment from this Department. Accordingly, he does benefit from social protection measures announced in the recent Budget. He may, however, depending on his level of income benefit from USC and income tax measures announced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance. Persons on low income, such as income from an occupational pension, may qualify...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments Administration (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I am very conscious of the important role of the post office around the country, not only in respect of social welfare payments but also the extent to which it is now becoming a one stop-shop where people can pay bills, purchase mobile telephone top-ups, use the passport application facility, pay local property tax or Garda fines and carry out a range of banking and other financial services....

Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments Administration (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I am glad to say the post offices won the contract for over-the-counter cash services. Increasingly people with bank accounts who receive a State pension on retirement choose to use their bank account. I do not know whether the Deputy is suggesting that such customers should be forced to use the post office when they have a bank account. The same is true for people who receive child...

Other Questions: Departmental Customer Charters (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: We have revamped the service. I will take any details the Deputy has and ensure that they are examined.

Other Questions: Departmental Customer Charters (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: We have had many debates in this House on allowances, including the carer's allowance, family income supplement and domiciliary care allowance. Deputies O’Dea and Ó Snodaigh, in particular, have raised these, and Deputy Catherine Murphy herself had questions on the domiciliary care allowance. The whole allowance system has been transformed dramatically. In fairness to the staff...

Other Questions: Departmental Customer Charters (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Since the economic collapse from 2007 and 2008 onwards, there was a vast increase in the number of people seeking to be assisted by the Department of Social Protection. As the Deputy knows, the number claiming in a very wide range of areas increased enormously, most notably among those who lost their jobs. Consequently, the pressure on the system increased enormously. As the Deputy is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: In this particular case the information that was supplied and the information supplied by the employer was in regard to a misconduct episode-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: -----which gave rise to a dismissal. The deciding officer had the facts as presented by the individual and also supplied by the employer when the case was examined, which confirmed what the applicant had represented when they came in as being part of the particular circumstances of the case. They have now decided to have an oral appeal and that will afford a greater opportunity to check out...

Other Questions: Departmental Customer Charters (21 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The overall aim of the Department of Social Protection is to provide people with the information, financial support and other services they require in a timely and customer-friendly way. The Department demonstrates its ongoing commitment to a strong customer service ethos through the customer charter and action plan. The plan sets out a range of mechanisms to deliver a high quality of...