Results 14,461-14,480 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (26 Jun 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. There are currently approximately 76,000 rent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 Jun 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 23 June 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: One-Parent Family Payments (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 102, 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 77,209 in May, 2014, and an estimated €863 million is due to be spent on the scheme in 2014. However, despite significant levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The overall concern in Budget 2014 and previous budgets has been to protect primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provides an annual saving of €22 million. This allows the Department to protect other more fundamental social welfare payments such as the State pension. I have no plans to reinstate the grant. There are a range of supports available for people...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (26 Jun 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 March 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 12 May...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (26 Jun 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 23 June 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: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Rent Supplement can be assessed for person in question on receipt of an application, subject to their meeting the qualifying conditions for rent supplement such as verification that they have been assessed as having a housing need and rental being secured within the maximum rent limit for their family composition and location.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: There is no record of an application for an exceptional needs payment from the couple concerned. If they wish to make an application they should contact their local community welfare service at 045 887830 and leave their contact details and a community welfare officer will get back to them.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Records show that the person concerned was last in receipt of a payment (Jobseekers Allowance) in March 2011. He is not currently in receipt of a payment from the Department and therefore would not qualify for Back to Education Allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Employee PRSI is not charged where weekly earnings are €352 or less. Where weekly earnings exceed €352, employees become liable for PRSI and PRSI at 4% is charged on all earnings. As Minister for Social Protection, I am on the record as indicating that one of my key goals is to reform the system of social protection and to put it on a sounder financial footing for the future....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (26 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Prior to January 2013, where an employee’s weekly earnings exceeded €352, he or she was liable to pay PRSI on all earnings, less the weekly PRSI free allowance of €127. (For persons paying PRSI at the modified rate of contribution, the PRSI free allowance was €26.) This allowance was abolished in Budget 2013 and PRSI is now payable on allearnings once the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,200 schools and organisations which benefits over 205,000 children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Staff (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 92 together. The Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 provides that a person who takes up employment in the civil or public service on or after 1 April 2004, or is re-appointed following a break of more than 26 weeks, is regarded as a new entrant. In general, new entrants to permanent positions within the civil or public...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Section 12 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, provides that where an employee has been in a lay-off situation or on short-time for 4 consecutive weeks or more, or for six weeks in the last 13 weeks, he/she may give his/her employer notice, in writing, of his/her intention to claim a statutory redundancy payment. Short-time arises where there is a reduction in the weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (25 Jun 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. There are currently approximately 76,000 customers in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Disability allowance (DA) is a payment for persons between the ages of 16 and 66 with a specified disability which is expected to last at least 1 year who, by reason of that disability, are substantially restricted in undertaking work suitable to their age, qualifications and experience. Applicants must also satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State. The application form...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 24th March 2014. The application was not allowed as it was considered that the child does not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A decision letter issued to the person concerned on 23 June 2014 advising of this decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds the applicant may submit...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Notification of the Appeals Officer’s decision issued to the person concerned on 16 June 2013. However, in light of the Deputy’s request for an oral hearing of this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (25 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. Claims to the State pension (transition) are therefore made in respect of people who turned 65 before 1 January 2014. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Services for People with Disabilities (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 264 together. The Department provides a range of income and work-related supports for people with disabilities, including people with blindness. The Blind Person’s Pension is a means-tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people who are habitually resident in Ireland. Recipients of the payment may also qualify for the Blind...