Results 14,361-14,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 February 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 January 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Charges Exemptions (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: At its meeting on 6th May 2014, discussing Irish Water financing, the Government approved a financial assistance package from this Department which will be available from 2015 to those eligible for the existing household benefits package. The household benefits package is paid to 410,000 customers at an estimated cost of €230 million in 2014. The Department is currently preparing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Data (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Data (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Traveller Community (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I understand that the matters of concern to the National Traveller Partnership relate to the current public procurement process for the delivery of the future Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme under the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. These matters are primarily for that Department to address. Officials from the Department of Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Jul 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 January 2014. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 6 February 2014 who requested clarification on certain issues from the Department of Social Protection on 25 March 2014. Following receipt of the clarification, the Appeals Officer has decided to convene an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period will be implemented on a phased basis. Starting...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Skills Development (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government launched the Skills to Work initiative on 19 May 2014, funded by the Department of Education & Skills. The Skills to Work campaign promotes in particular five initiatives. Three run by the Department of Education and Skills: Springboard, Momentum and Skillnets; and two run by the Department of Social Protection: JobBridge and JobsPlus....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance at the full maximum personal rate of €188 per week.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The overall concern of Government in Budget 2014 and previous Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. The biggest single block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2014 is expenditure on pensionswhichwill amount to €6.5 billion, or 33% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic change the Department’s spending on older people is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Living Alone Allowance (LAA) was introduced from October 1977, and is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 429 to 431, inclusive, together. The one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme has played an important role in providing income support to lone parents since its introduction in 1997. The number of OFP recipients stood at 74,426 in May, 2014, and an estimated €863 million is expected to be spent on the scheme during 2013. The Social Welfare and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Rehiring (8 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: One member of staff in my Department, the Chief Medical Advisor, has been rehired on a temporary contract on a pay scale of €87,741 to €106,423. Payment of his pension is abated pending the termination of his temporary contract. The Department held a competition to recruit a new Chief Medical officer in late 2013, however, no candidate was deemed suitable at interview. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The customer concerned applied for a one-parent family payment in December 2013 which was disallowed in March 2014 on the grounds that she was not separated from her spouse. The case was reviewed in May 2014 on request of the client and information requested by the Department has not been furnished. The case will now be forwarded to the appeals office for consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 11June 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that arrears due to customers are paid without delay. Due to the increased number of disability allowance applications received and decided over the last 12 months there has been a corresponding increase in the volume of requests for reviews and/or appeals against adverse decisions. This has led to increased waiting times for arrears to issue in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the request by the person concerned for copies of all documentation in their case in advance of the oral appeal hearing was overlooked. The Social Welfare Appeals Office sincerely apologises for this fact. Copies of all the documentation requested will be forwarded to the person concerned immediately. The Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: Details of the number of sick days taken by staff in my Department in 2011, 2012, 2013, and the 2014 year to date are provided below. The table provides details of the total number of staff and the staff who took sick leave in each of the specified areas as follows: the total number of uncertified (self-certified) sick days taken by employees; the total certified sick days taken by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (3 Jul 2014)

Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing a high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...