Results 15,141-15,160 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned does not have a current pending application for jobseeker’s allowance registered with this Department. A previous application dated 18 December 2013 was disallowed on the basis that the person concerned did not demonstrate that her means were not in excess of the prescribed limit. She did not appeal the decision. It is open to the person concerned to submit a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: No application has been received by the relevant rent Unit of the Department. Should the client wish to make application they may contact the Unit directly (contact details supplied below) to discuss the eligibility criteria for rent supplement.Email: Fax: 01 4131018 Lo-call:1890 800 698

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Payments (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. The person concerned was awarded IP with effect from 18 April 2013 at a weekly rate of €193.50 and an additional €20.00 per week during the fuel allowance season. The person concerned has an outstanding balance of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Appeals (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department has no record of having received an application for Guardian’s payment from the person concerned. In order to examine their possible entitlement, the person concerned should complete and submit an application form for Guardian’s payment. An application form can be requested by telephoning LoCall 1890 66 22 44 or can be downloaded from the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: An application from the person concerned for disability allowance, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 1 April 2014. In the letter notifying the person concerned of the decision, the available options of seeking a review by a deciding officer or of appealing the decision to the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned met with a case officer from the Employment Services, Maynooth on Tuesday 29 April 2014. A further appointment has been arranged for Thursday 8 May 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Applications (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: According to the records of this Department, the person concerned has not submitted an application for a one parent family allowance. She is currently in receipt of a basic supplementary welfare allowance. If she feels she meets the criteria for receipt of the one parent family payment she can submit an application and her entitlement will be assessed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department of Social Protection. The Department processes in excess of 2.3 million claims each year and it makes payments to over 1.5 million people every week. Overpayments are generally defined as money obtained contrary to - or in excess of - a valid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (1 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, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (1 May 2014)

Joan Burton: The State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. This is particularly important given the challenges in relation to the future sustainability of the State pension, with increased numbers of older...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Pension schemes in Ireland are generally set up on a voluntary basis and arrangements for access to a scheme would generally be a matter for negotiations between the employers, employees and trade unions. Where an employer does not provide employees with access to an occupational pension scheme within six months of the commencement of employment, then the employer must provide the employee...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: It is estimated that there are some €50 billion of assets in defined benefit pension schemes. At present 470 schemes are in deficit while some 380 schemes satisfy the requirements of the funding standard as set out in the Pensions Act. The overall deficit in defined benefit pension schemes is estimated at €8.5bn. The majority of these schemes in deficit have put in place...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Education and Training Provision (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, which is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative, was rolled out by the Department of Education in 2013. MOMENTUM supported the provision of free education and training projects in 2013 to allow up to 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible persons living in private-rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are currently approximately 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided some €344...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Death Certificates Issues (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The loss of a family member in any circumstances is an extremely tragic event and I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to those families who have lost a loved one through suicide. Under sections 41 and 42 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 a coroner or a medical practitioner provides the required particulars of a death, including cause of death, in order that the death can be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in service delivery and disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. The programme is funded by my Department with day-to-day management of contracts undertaken by Pobal. Over 400 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives shared annual funding of €46m from the programme in 2013 and similar...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that the decisions of appeals officers are implemented without delay. In all cases, it takes a number of days for the relevant scheme area to receive notification of an Appeals Officer’s decision, together with returned case papers. Where the appeal has been granted, there are a number of necessary administrative steps which must be completed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 19th October 2013. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. He was notified of this decision on the 14th of January 2014, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (30 Apr 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 16thApril 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: Household Budget Facility (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 367 together. The Household Budget facility, operated by An Post on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, provides customers with a facility to have their household utility bills and social rents deducted directly from their weekly social welfare payment. While some 33,000 housing authority tenants have availed of the facility in terms of...