Results 14,781-14,800 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Family income supplement (FIS) is an employee incentive scheme for low-income working families, including one-parent families, aimed at supporting them through supplementing their income while they remain in work. There has been a steady growth both in the number of families supported by FIS over recent years and associated expenditure as set out in the table. Expenditure on the FIS...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Some 410,000 customers have received the fuel allowance of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2014. The allowance is subject to a means test. The household benefits package is also paid to 410,000 customers at an estimated cost of €230 million in 2014. This allowance is subject to a means test for those aged under 70....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: Farm Assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. To qualify for Farm Assist, a person must be a farmer, farming land in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test. There were just over 10,300 recipients of farm assist at end December last and nearly €99.5 million was spent on the scheme in 2013. The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: In relation to the T.D. enquiry lines there are no regulations in place which stipulate that decisions on a case, once made, cannot be given to a Deputy directly or to his/her staff until her Department has written out to the customer themselves. When a Deputy or their staff makes an enquiry on a case they will receive the most up-to-date information on the status of the claim so that they...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The most significant additional initiative that the Department has undertaken to increase the participation in employment of people with a disability in the period since April 2011 is the Disability Activation Project (DACT) which I launched at the end of 2012.The DACT Project is jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Department of Social Protection and is providing funding in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. Drafting is at an advanced stage and it is my intention to seek Cabinet approval for the publication of the Bill in the coming weeks.The legislation will provide for the development of a mechanism to record the deaths of Irish persons normally resident in the State who die while on short-term...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: JobPath is a new programme of employment activation aimed specifically at the long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market with the primary objective of assisting such persons to gain sustainable employment. The Department is currently in the process of evaluating tenders for the provision of the service.The allocation of additional resources to the activation of long...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was redeployed to my Department in January 2012 together with approximately 700 FÁS staff. As part of the terms of the redeployment, all former FÁS staff retained the terms and conditions of employment that applied prior to their transfer to this Department. The records my Department received from FÁS in respect of the person concerned show that they were...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The cost of increasing all contributory and non-contributory pensions (with proportionate increases for qualified adults) by 10% per week for those aged 66 and over is estimated at €613 million in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The biggest single block of expenditure in the Department is expenditure on pensionswhich will amount to €6.5 billion or 33% of overall expenditure this year. It is expected that demographic change will see this grow, e.g., approximately 17,000 additional pensioners are in receipt of State pension each year, and in 2013 the Department had to make provision for an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Universal Social Charge Application (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The earnings assessed for social assistance means testing purposes generally is based on earnings net of PRSI contributions, superannuation/PRSA contributions and trade union subscriptions. No account is taken in the calculation of any income taxes payable on earnings i.e. the assessment is based on gross earnings before tax. Given that the universal social charge is a tax, the impact of this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Expenditure (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The State pension (contributory) is a very valuable benefit. Therefore, with the challenges facing the pension system given increased number of older people living longer, it is important to ensure that those qualifying for State pension (contributory) have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. As provided for in Budget 2012, from September...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Legislative Measures (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: A number of amendments to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 which have been enacted since 2011 have still to come into effect and these are set out in the table. Social Welfare Consolidation Act which have still to come into effect. Provision Description Status Section 7(1) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 Provides for an increase in pensionable age for State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Employment Initiative (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: The Government will spend over €500 million in 2014 on employment, education and training opportunities for young people. This will support the gradual implementation of the new Youth Guarantee which will seek to offer young people employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed. As part of the Intreo process young people...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: As the person concerned failed to attend a scheduled National Employment Action Plan review meeting on 9thMay 2014 with his Case Officer, hisweekly rate of jobseeker’s allowance was reduced by €44 with effect from 14thMay 2014. When he attended his Intreo Office on 27thMay 2014 to enquire about the deduction in his payment, the person concerned informed this Department that he...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 14 May 2014 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (10 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 21stMay 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Burton: I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent changes to the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act, 2013. As I have previously highlighted, a detailed consultation process was undertaken to inform the deliberative process regarding the wind-up priority provision in section 48 of the Pensions Act. This included a Department-sponsored review by Mercer Consultants on the technical aspects...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (10 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 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: Invalidity Pension Appeals (10 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 12 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...