Results 13,821-13,840 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (25 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was refused a back to education allowance as he failed to satisfy the requisite number of paid days on his jobseeker's allowance claim. A review of this decision was requested on the 19/09/14. The review was undertaken and the original decision was upheld. The outcome of the review was issued to the person concerned on 23/09/2014.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (25 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department operates a range of means tested schemes where, in order to qualify for the social assistance payment, the claimant must satisfy a means test. With social assistance payments, the maximum rate of entitlement is payable where a claimant’s means are nil. Where a claimant has means, the maximum rate of entitlement is reduced by reference to the means in any given case and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together. The appropriate rates of welfare supports in 2015, including the weekly rates of disability payments and back to education allowance, will be considered in the context of the Government’s discussions on the next Budget. In this regard, a €20 increase per week in disability payments (such as Disability Allowance, Illness...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. An individual in receipt of a widow’s or widower’s pension may retain his/her payment whilst on the RSS....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: There were 71,886 persons in receipt of one-parent family payment at the end of August.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Lucan/Adamstown area has been designated by the Department for the provision of INTREO services. The OPW have been exploring options in the both Lucan and Adamstown for an Intreo Office and they are progressing a number of options with a view to obtaining a satisfactory solution. Given the limited choice of properties on the market and the unusual market conditions, this process is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: Individuals can undertake a maximum of 3 JobBridge internships, however, the total cumulative time spent on the scheme cannot exceed 18 months (78 weeks). The maximum duration of any one internship is 9 months (39 weeks). The terms and conditions of employment of former interns are a matter for the individual and the employer.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (24 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: This year the Department will spend approximately €91.6 million on the farm assist scheme and it is expected that an average of 9,900 individuals will be in receipt of this payment each week. The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker’s allowance and recipients retain all the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as retention of secondary benefits and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The cost of a 1% increase in the rate of all weekly social welfare payments is estimated at €145.89 million in a full year. The cost includes a proportionate increase, where applicable, in the qualified adult rate of payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 8th July 2014. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take over 10 weeks to process an application for DCA.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together. Gateway is a work placement initiative provided by county and city councils with the support of the Department of Social Protection. The initiative aims to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. Responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with individual...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the Free Travel Pass and the Social Services Card (SSC) of this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (23 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 25 June 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: Fuel Allowance Expenditure (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The fuel allowance is a weekly payment of €20 to low income households on long-term social welfare payments to assist them with their energy costs. The allowance is paid for 26 weeks from October to April. The payment represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: When assessing whether an individual is entitled to a State pension, and to ensure that they can maximise such entitlement, all contributions (paid or credited) from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account Credited contributions (credits) are social insurance contributions designed to protect the social insurance entitlement record of insured...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: Prior to Budget 2012 measures coming into force, certain Community Employment (CE) participants (i.e. those in receipt of one parent family payment, disability allowance, invalidity pension, illness benefit, blind pension, deserted wife’s benefit, or widow(ers) pension) could retain their original social welfare payment whilst simultaneously receiving CE allowances. With effect from...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: It is open to the person concerned to make an application for Jobseekers Benefit. In order to qualify the person must - be unemployed - be under pension age - be capable of work - be available for full-time work - be genuinely seeking work - have sustained a substantial loss of employment - satisfy the contribution conditions - prove unemployment in the prescribed manner.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 to 90, inclusive, together. The table below shows the estimated yield from changing employees’ PRSI for Classes BX, B1, CX, C1, DX, D1, HX and H1 to 4% on all earnings above €352 per week. CLASS YIELD NO. OF EMPLOYMENTS AFFECTED BX and B1 €38.5m 24,422 CX and C1 €1.2m 589 DX and D1 €110.4m 62,917 HX and H1...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: The allocation of activation places on programmes for live registrants is generally on the basis of the demand for such places (i.e. the extent of unemployment in a region). The number of persons on courses in County Wexford as of the end of August is outlined in the table below. The total figure as of the end of August was 1,908. However, it should be borne in mind that in regards to some...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (23 Sep 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 115 to 117, inclusive, and 125 together. As at 19thSeptember 2014, 200 individuals were on JobBridge internships and a further 772 individuals had finished internships in County Wexford. As of the same date, there were 331 participants and 17 supervisors participating in TÚS in County Wexford. As of the same date, 102 individuals had started third...