Results 13,721-13,740 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pension Act 2013 (Sections 13 and 14) were commenced on 1st August 2014 by reference to SI No. 308 of 2014. Since the commencement of the recovery of certain benefits and assistance scheme (RBA), 65 cases have been settled with a value of €183,437.

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

Joan Burton: The Department’s main support for welfare recipients returning to work is the family income supplement (FIS), an in-work support which targets low-paid employees with children. FIS is designed both to prevent child and family poverty and to offer a financial incentive to move from welfare to work. FIS is paid to some 44,000 families in respect of some 97,000 children. Expenditure on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: 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 an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (1 Oct 2014)

Joan Burton: A member of a defined benefit pension scheme has an option to ether transfer their pension rights to another pension scheme or to leave their pension rights in the pension scheme attached to their former employment. If a scheme member elects to leave the pension rights in the scheme, these pension rights are preserved and revalued on an annual basis by the annual rate of CPI or 4% whichever...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: Official figures from the CSO show that unemployment is falling and is now approaching 11% compared to a peak of over 15% in mid 2012. In fact, according to the most recent information available from the Live Register the standardised unemployment rate (SUR) in August 2014 was 11.2%, down from 11.3% in July 2014. This equates to a monthly decrease of 2,900 (-0.1%) in the number of persons...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131, 150 and 180 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10 July 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 case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 23rd 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 26th August 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance. The person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a supplementary welfare allowance appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 24 September 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. An invalidity pension appeal was also made by the person concerned and was registered...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The entitlement to the one parent family payment of the person concerned ceased on 2 July 2014 as her youngest child was over the age of 10 years. A review of this decision has been undertaken and it is confirmed that there is no entitlement to the one parent family payment. The person concerned is working and also in receipt of family income supplement. The FIS weekly rate of payment has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was published in January. It provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014, as set out in the table attached as an appendix to this statement. This figure excludes some 24,000 places provided for young people through PLC courses and apprenticeships. These PLC and apprenticeship places, together with the wide...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14 July 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 case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: This matter is the subject of ongoing investigation in my Department. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the likely outcome of these investigations at this stage.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 1 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 case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24 July 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 case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Properties (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: There are currently no Departmental staff members working in the building identified. However, as part of the roll-out of INTREO services across the country, the Office of Public Works has identified this building as being suitable for this purpose. The OPW are negotiating a potential purchase/lease of the building, with the Court appointed liquidator, with a view to the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Investigations (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 154, inclusive, together. The Department’s Information & Communication Technology (ICT) facilities (including email and internet) are provided for business purposes. The Department's Acceptable Use Policy is a framework document that sets out the standards for use of the organisation's ICT. The Department’s Email &...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (30 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 156, 168 and 169 together. With regard to the pension, issue, in July 2008, the Labour Court recommended that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors (LCR19293) and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS, the agency responsible for CE at that time. The...