Results 13,701-13,720 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The PPS Number is the individual’s unique reference number for all dealings with Government Departments and public bodies. This covers its use for DSP purposes as well as use by other agencies (in accordance with legislation - Section 262 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 provides the basis for the allocation, use and sharing of the PPS Number). Before a PPS Number can...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for disability allowance (DA) by the person concerned was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 23 October 2013. He appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. An appeals officer, having considered all the evidence available in the case, disallowed the appeal and the person in question was notified of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Section 48 of the Pensions Act sets out the manner in which the assets of a defined benefit pension scheme are distributed in the event of the wind up of a pension scheme. These rules prioritise the benefits of pensioner over the benefits of active and deferred scheme members. The priority given to the distribution of assets to deferred scheme members is the same as that given to active...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The only application for domiciliary care allowance on record in respect of the person concerned was received in April 2012. The application was not allowed as it was considered that the child did not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A decision letter issued to her on 15 June 2012 advising of this decision. In the case of an application which is refused the applicant may...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: It is the policy of my Department to request medical reports from General Practitioners when customers are applying for social protection illness related schemes, including disability allowance, invalidity pension and carer’s allowance. The design of the medical evidence report part of the application forms is undertaken in consultation with the Chief Medical Advisor and the Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. - 2011 2012 2013 2014 - Percentage of vacant positions filled by panels created through...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability which is expected to last at least one year; who are aged over 16 and under 66 and who are substantially restricted in carrying out employment otherwise suitable to their age, experience and qualifications. DA is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. I confirm...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ombudsman's Reports (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Statistics on the number or nature of cases that are referred to the Office of the Ombudsman or to the Courts are not held by the Department. The number of complaints recorded by the Department from January 2011 to date: “Officer Named” Complaints Non Officer Named Complaints Total Received Year 2011 103 1,631 1,734 Year 2012 102 1,465 1,567 Year 2013 171 1,044 1, 215...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: A key objective of the transfer of the community welfare service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1st October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. When the CWS transferred to the Department in October 2011 there were approximately 760 full time equivalent community welfare officers delivering the full range of community welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 58 together. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief Application (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: As detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 118 of 23 January 2014, certain documents were outstanding in relation to the application for mortgage interest supplement from this client. Despite numerous written requests from the Department over a sustained period which were also followed up with phone calls to the client none of the requested documentation was submitted,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (2 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of one parent family payment from 13 August 2009 to 23 July 2014. Her claim was reviewed by a Social Welfare Inspector in August 2014 when it was brought to the Department’s attention that a person other than the person concerned had attempted to collect her payment from the Post Office. During the review it was established that she had been absent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term on the live register. JobsPlus is biased in favour of those who are longer term unemployed. It provides employers with two levels of payment: €7,500 over two years where a jobseeker is recruited following 12-24 months on the live register and €10,000 for those...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a monthly universal payment made to families with children, which assists all parents with the cost associated with raising children. The Government is conscious that child benefit is an important source of income for all families. Child benefit is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 90 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible under the scheme. There are currently in excess of 780,000 customers with direct eligibility. The Department appreciates the important role that free travel plays in promoting social inclusion...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 10th July 2014. This application has now been processed and she was notified on the 26th September 2014 that DCA is being awarded in her case.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of total number of recipients of each of respite care grant, fuel allowance, and back to school clothing and footwear allowance are collated annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information of Social Welfare Services. With respect to recipients of family income supplement and back to education allowance the total number of person in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department is responsible for expenditure under Vote 37 (formerly Vote 38 in 2011) and the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). The Department’s allocated income and expenditure budget for both Vote 37 and the SIF is as provided by way of the annual Estimate process (and supplementary estimate process where required) as voted by Dáil Éireann. The details of the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: Participants on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) are paid a fuel allowance where they were in receipt of the allowance prior to commencing on the scheme and where they continue to satisfy the conditions for that payment. A person who was not in receipt of a fuel allowance prior to commencement on any of the Department’s work placements schemes cannot qualify for that payment during their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. The costs associated with the Youth Guarantee will be funded, in the first instance, by the Irish Exchequer. However, it is expected that a number of these Programmes will meet ESF eligibility criteria and they have been included in the Youth Employment Initiative application for Ireland. This will permit EU funding to be drawn down in...