Results 14,421-14,440 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Redeployment (2 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The only formal structure in place in respect of transfers at Executive Officer level and above is the Central Applications Facility (CAF) that was established for locations included in the Decentralisation Programme. The CAF is administered by the Public Appointments Service. While my department maintains informal transfer lists for the grades of Executive Officer and above I understand...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219, 245 and 246 together. The 2015 Budget will be considered by Government in the forthcoming months and will be announced on October 14. Changes to the household benefits, free travel and fuel allowance schemes and the re-introduction of a bonus at Christmas would have to be considered in that context. In this regard, the cost of increasing fuel allowance by...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (1 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: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The Government has provided over €344 million for the rent supplement scheme in 2014, the purpose of which 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,...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on the 25th June 2014 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st May 2014. Payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will be available in the nominated bank account on the 15th July 2014 and on the third Tuesday of each month thereafter.
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (1 Jul 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: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The person concerned applied on 17 February 2014 for an increase for living alone on his State pension contributory (SPC). The increase was awarded with effect from 23 September 2013. Under social welfare legislation, where an application for contributory pension, or any increase payable thereon, is received on or after 6 April 2012 the maximum backdating period allowable is six months....
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Payments (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Fuel allowance is currently paid at €20 per week during the winter season. Some 410,000 customers...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 17 June 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 10 to 12 weeks to process an application for DCA.
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: In order to develop and implement a Youth Guarantee Plan, the Department of Social Protection set up an interdepartmental Youth Guarantee Implementation Group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The Youth Guarantee will be run on a national basis. The Ballymun Pilot is being mainly funded by the European Commission. Such specific funding for other pilot programmes is not available. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Department will operate a specific scheme for each of its 60+ local offices. However there will be flexibility to tailor the implementation to local conditions (for...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 236 together. The Most Deprived Scheme has been managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a number of years. Some 563 charities participated in the scheme in the past year and were able to avail of cheese, rice and butter. The scheme has been discontinued from this year given the lack of intervention and surplus food stocks...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (1 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 6 May 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 referred...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Redeployment (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The Department is required to operate within an Employment Control Framework, as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform. In this regard, only critical posts that arise may be filled. Where a post is to be filled, the Department is obliged in the first instance in accordance with D/PER policy, to fill the post by way of the redeployment of staff from the...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Widow's Pension Applications (1 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 26 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 case in question will be...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014. Expenditure on the scheme from 2011 is provided in...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The person concerned is in receipt of farm assist at the weekly rate of €209.60. Following a request for a review of entitlement a decision was given maintaining his existing entitlement. The person concerned subsequently appealed this decision. As part of the appeal process, the Deciding Officer is required to prepare an appeal submission. The appeal is now being finalised as a...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collated by my Department. I am, however, informed that at the end of May 2014 there were 34,521 persons currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance that have not, to date, made any PRSI contribution. This analysis includes contributions under PRSI classes J and S (low income and self-employed workers) recorded since 2005 which were...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2014 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers' schemes of €3.28 billion. It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully unemployed for...
- Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (1 Jul 2014)
Joan Burton: The assessment for increase for qualified adult in the State pension (contributory) of the person concerned has been reviewed, and I am satisfied that the correct procedure has been applied. A claimant's entitlement to personal weekly rate of State pension (contributory) is not means tested. It is based on a person's social insurance record and they must satisfy certain eligibility...