Results 13,621-13,640 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy should not shake her head at the idea that somebody would go back to education, to work or community employment. The last I heard, Sinn Féin by and large supports community employment. If the Deputy wants to improve his situation, the first thing to do, depending on the age of the gentleman, is to try to help as a society to get that man, who probably lost his job through no...

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The second point is the big Sinn Féin lie. It prepared the propaganda and has worked this one out. Nobody’s water supply is going to be cut off because the law does not allow Irish Water to cut off people’s water.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The law in Ireland does not allow the man’s water to be cut off. The Deputy said the man is financially challenged. I accept that. I absolutely accept that the poor man probably lost his job through no fault of his own. Sinn Féin as a party, and Deputy McDonald as a public representative, would get a lot of profit for that man and his family, if he has one, or for him alone,...

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Can the Deputy not help him get back into education, or back to work? Why would she not do that? Sinn Féin is anti people getting work, or advancing. That is the problem.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will appreciate that I am not at liberty at this point to disclose details of the budget.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I cannot indicate that to the Deputy but I will say that there are extensive and intensive ongoing discussions between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Finance and the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. On the area of mental health funding, as is well known, the funding provided over the period of this...

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: With regard to what has happened in terms of mental health services and the development of policy, any fair person would say, as do many of the experts in the field, that we now have and have evolved a set of world-class standards on the way to proceed on which there has been widespread agreement, whether among the groups and organisations the Deputy referred to or among the experts. The...

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Two issues arise in that regard. First, we only want to use in-bed facilities, particularly when dealing with vulnerable adolescents, as an absolute last resort. I know from personal experience, and I am sure the Deputy knows also, that if we can provide those services in the community, that is the best way to proceed. There is now a bed count to ensure that if the type of young person the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: According to the records of this Departmental the earnings for the person concerned is recorded as €135.00 per week which, when the means test is applied, results in a weekly payment of €108.80. It is open to the person concerned to contact their local office to request a review of their claim and to provide updated documentation with regarding their income.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 11 February 2014. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who did not consider that the child met the medical criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 9 May 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance. A review of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 5 September 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 appeal in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Review (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 9 May 2014. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who did not consider that the child met the medical criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 19th August 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance. A review of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Appeals (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I am advised...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to the parents/guardians of children that assists families with the cost associated with raising children. Currently, child benefit is paid to around 604,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014. The needs of the children are the priority consideration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 6 October 2014 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Payments (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was to provide short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only. There are currently approximately 6,700 people in receipt of mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Data (9 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department does not maintain records on the number of contracts of indefinite duration that have been sought. The table below details the number of contracts of indefinite duration that have been awarded in the Department and in the agencies under its remit. - Dept of Social Protection Citizens Information Board Pensions Ombudsman Pensions Authority 2007 Nil 8 Nil Nil 2008 Nil 4...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (8 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The dental benefit scheme continues to provide for free annual examinations to qualifying customers who fulfil the PRSI eligibility criteria. The free dental examination has been retained in order to encourage people to continue to attend for check-ups and to ensure that good oral health is maintained. Any changes to the dental or other treatment benefit schemes would have to be considered...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Commissions of Investigation (8 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: There were no commissions of investigations, inquiries or similar investigations established by my Department in the past 12 months. None are being considered for establishment in the coming 12 months.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Eligibility (8 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: A claim for back to school clothing and footwear allowance from the person concerned was processed on 21 July 2014. The claim was refused as her assessable income exceeds the weekly income limit for a family with 2 children, which is €593.40. The person concerned has an income from her TUS scheme, which combined with her spouse’s income leave her exceeding the weekly limit for...