Results 15,161-15,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers were received by that office on 26thMarch 2014 and that the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's 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 19thMarch 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: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Apr 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 was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 22ndApril 2014. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a disability allowance and a supplementary welfare allowance appeal from the person concerned were registered in that office on the 10thMarch 2014 and 11thMarch 2014 respectively. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officers on the grounds of appeals be...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Carer’s Allowance appeal and a Supplementary Welfare Allowance appeal from the person concerned were registered in that office on the 13thNovember 2013 and 28thApril 2014 respectively. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing in respect to the Carer’s Allowance appeal of the person concerned...

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

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment....

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

Joan Burton: The medical eligibility criteria for disability allowance (DA) and for invalidity pension (IP) are not the same. To qualify for DA, a person (inter-alia) must be considered to be substantially restricted in undertaking employment suitable to his/her age, qualifications and experience. The medical eligibility criteria for IP specify that the person must be permanently incapable of work...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: In order to qualify for the household benefits package a person must satisfy certain qualifying conditions. In this instance, the person concerned does not qualify as he is under 66 years of age and he is not in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department e.g. invalidity pension or disability allowance.

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

Joan Burton: No rent supplement application has been received from these clients by the relevant Unit of the Department. Should the clients wish to make application they may contact the Unit directly at or on the lo-call number 1890 800 698, where the criteria for rent supplement can be discussed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Under Social Welfare legislation, Deciding Officers are appointed to decide on entitlement to benefit or assistance. In coming to their decision on entitlement, the role of the Deciding Officer is to consider the evidence supplied and from that evidence establish the facts of the case. The Deciding Officer applies the legislation to the established facts. In this case, the evidence...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Guardian's Payment Appeals (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Following a review of entitlement to guardian’s payment (contributory) in respect of the person concerned, it emerged that the circumstances in relation to the child’s mother had changed. The person concerned was asked to provide independent evidence to support her contention that the child satisfied the definition of an orphan under social welfare legislation. Sufficient...

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

Joan Burton: A child under 16 years is deemed medically eligible for carer's allowance when domiciliary care allowance is in payment for that child. Once the child reaches 16 years of age and entitlement to domiciliary care allowance ceases, a review of the continuing entitlement to carer’s allowance is undertaken as medical eligibility is no longer automatically satisfied and must be confirmed....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU Funding (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The regulation to create and underpin the operations of the new EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived was adopted by the Council in early March and came into effect shortly thereafter. Under this regulation, Member States will be required to devise operational plans to procure supplies and support the distribution of food and consumer good using partner organisations (NGOs) and other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Data (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was to provide short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only. There are currently approximately 8,500 people in receipt of mortgage...

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

Joan Burton: In Budget 2013, a joint initiative between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs was announced to provide subsidised after-school childcare places for low-income and unemployed persons who enter employment. The purpose of the after-school child care (ASCC) scheme is to help offset some of the after-school childcare costs that are associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's 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 23rdApril 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: Child Benefit Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a monthly universal payment to assist with the costs associated with raising children. It is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014. Child benefit continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education or who have a disability. I...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Apr 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 the 2ndApril 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: Work Placement Programmes (30 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 310 to 313, inclusive, 317 and 355 together. The purpose of Gateway and Tús is to focus on jobseekers who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is confined to those on the Live Register and receiving a jobseekers allowance payment for 24 months in the case of Gateway and 12 months for Tús. Selection for both schemes is by...