Results 15,001-15,020 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (15 May 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 the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (15 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned submitted a letter to the Department regarding guardianship of her grandchildren in March 2013. Her claim was disallowed, as she was not considered the qualified person for receipt of the payment. This decision was confirmed in writing and was the subject of a reply to a PQ (Ref. No. 26529-13). There is no record of further correspondence having been received in August...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (15 May 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 17 April 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: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (15 May 2014)

Joan Burton: There are approximately 35 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) under the remit of my Department. Prior to the recent integration of services from the Health Service Executive (HSE) and FÁS into the Department, approximately 23 of these devices had previously belonged to those organisations. In 2013, the cost of maintenance of the original 12 AEDs and associated staff training was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 101, 106, 109 and 111 together. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme 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, and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was overpaid a total of €1,849 Jobseekers Allowance for the period 1 March 2012 to 18 December 2012 following a review of their income from their spouse’s insurable employment. The decision to assess an overpayment was appealed to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office, where an Appeals Officer upheld the decision of the Deciding Officer. There is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees with children on low earnings. FIS is designed to prevent child and family poverty and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment as compared to social welfare payments. Expenditure on FIS for 2014 is estimated to be of the order of €280 million and it is currently paid to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified on 12 May 2014 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1 March 2014. Payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will be available for collection at the nominated Post Office on 20 May 2014 and on the third Tuesday of each month thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made a claim for jobseeker’s allowance on 15 April 2014. As part of the approval process he was interviewed by a Social Welfare Inspector and was asked to submit supporting documentation in order that his means can be correctly assessed. Despite several efforts having been made by this Department to contact the person concerned to discuss his application, this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (14 May 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: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as the severe weather conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (14 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3 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: Pensions Reform (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: As you are aware, the Minister for Finance highlighted in Budget 2014 that the 0.6% levy which has been in place on all schemes since 2010 will terminate at the end of 2014. The Minister for Finance also announced that a separate levy of 0.15% will apply to all pension fund assets to continue to help fund the Jobs Initiative, including the continuation of the reduced 9% VAT rate in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Service Code of Conduct (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 1 May 2014, the person concerned was suspended on full pay while being investigated under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code. Based on advice from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, an officer while suspended with pay does not accrue an entitlement to Annual leave. All pay and entitlements due to the person concerned were paid at the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3 September 2013. 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 Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: You will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to a particular pension scheme. However, I can advise that the provision in the trust deed/scheme rules will determine the pension rights of scheme members. Where a pension scheme operates across EU Member States, the employees who are employed in a different Member State (i.e., the host Member State)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Payment of a Christmas Bonus, equivalent to 100% of a person’s weekly social welfare rate, to recipients of the State Pension Contributory and Non-Contributory, would cost in the region of €106 million. There is no provision in the 2014 estimates for the Department of Social Protection for the payment of a Christmas bonus. Any re-introduction of a bonus at Christmas would have...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Semi-State Bodies (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: There are no commercial semi State companies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: A person who has incurred an overpayment from the Department of Social Protection has a liability under law to refund the amounts involved - Section 338 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended) refers. They have received monies to which they were not entitled and the Department has a responsibility to ensure that all overpayments are repaid in full. Interest or penalties...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (13 May 2014)

Joan Burton: A person who has incurred an overpayment from the Department of Social Protection has a liability under law to refund the amounts involved - Section 338 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended) refers. They have received monies to which they were not entitled and the Department has a responsibility to ensure that all overpayments are repaid in full. Interest or penalties...