Results 14,501-14,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: A total of 2,756 customers were accommodated on a temporary basis by the New Communities Unit over the twelve months, January to December 2013. This is an average of approximately 53 per week. The accommodation provided to the customers was located in Dublin postal districts 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 14, 24, and in County Dublin. The nationalities of those accommodated include Polish, Romanian,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 31st May 2013. The application was refused by a deciding officer on the grounds that the care recipient was not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in Regulations. He was notified of this decision on the 18th July 2013, the reasons for it and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The total live register at the end of May stood at 388,764, which includes people working part time and signing for unemployed days (Jobseeker’s Allowance Casuals and Jobseeker’s Benefit Casuals). Also included in the live register are people signing on for Credits but not receiving any money (Jobseeker’s Benefit Credits only) and Springboard participants, who are in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Social welfare legislation provides that where a person was in receipt of certain payments including disability allowance immediately before becoming entitled to the state pension non-contributory, the weekly rate of pension payable shall be the greater of an amount equal to the rate of disability payment which was payable in accordance with the disability allowance rules immediately before...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 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 16 April 2014. Following consideration of the case the Appeals Officer has referred the file back to the Department for clarification on how the means of the person concerned were assessed and to consider new information which has been submitted. As soon as the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (24 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 10 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: One-Parent Family Payments (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: In May the number of one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients stood at 77,209 and the cost of the OFP scheme in 2014 is estimated to be €863 million. Despite significant levels of State spending on the OFP scheme, the results have been poor in terms of tackling poverty and social exclusion rates among lone parent families, who continue to experience higher rates of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department aims to process and pay without delay all successful appeals returned by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). There are, however, some temporary delays currently being experienced by some successful disability allowance (DA) appellants. Over the past year, the Department has been working to reduce the number of DA applications awaiting decision and the successful clearing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Numbers (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The note the Deputy refers to formed part of a previous State pension contributory (SPC) claim processing guideline for staff, and relates to the assessment procedures for ‘mixed-insurance’ SPC. This pension was introduced in social welfare legislation from November 1991, to cater for applicants who have held full-rate and modified-rate insurable employments. The procedures...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 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 11 June 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. It is not possible at this point to give a definitive date as to when the appeal process will be completed. The Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme is available on a universal basis to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme. The qualifying payments for those aged under 66 are invalidity pension, blind pension, disability allowance, carer’s allowance or an equivalent social security...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (24 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 19 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: Invalidity Pension Applications (24 Jun 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 hold an oral hearing in this case on 9 July 2014. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 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 16 April 2014. Following consideration of the case the Appeals Officer has referred the file back to the Department for clarification on how the means of the person concerned were assessed and to consider new information which has been submitted. As soon as the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (24 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, including that adduced at oral hearing, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 22 October 2013. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305 to 309, inclusive, together. The cost of increasing the personal weekly rate of jobseeker’s allowance payable to certain persons aged under 26 years to the maximum personal weekly rate payable to those aged 26 years or over is estimated at €161 million in 2015. The cost includes an increase, where applicable, in the qualified adult rate to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund Deficit (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Insurance Fund (Fund) was established by the Social Welfare Act 1952 (as amended) and operates under the terms of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act (SWCA) 2005. Since 2008 the Fund has incurred an operating deficit and by mid-2010 had exhausted all of its accumulated reserves. Since mid-2010 the Fund in accordance with Section 9 of SWCA 2005 has received state subvention to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (24 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 14 April 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 (24 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 May 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 Insurance (24 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Information in relation to the total amount of money recouped to the Social Insurance Fund from employers on foot of payments made under the Insolvency Payments Scheme for each year from 2003 to 2013 is being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy in writing as soon as possible.