Results 15,521-15,540 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned does not satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition for receiving jobseeker's allowance as she does not yet have refugee status in the State. Consequently she does not have a work permit and is therefore unavailable for employment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (1 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 11 February 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 within the next two weeks....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (1 Apr 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 and the reform measures introduced to date go somewhat toward that goal. Currently a person's date of entry into insurance is taken as the date used...

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

Joan Burton: Where a person moves out of what was their family home to reside elsewhere, the estimated capital value of what was the family home, less outstanding mortgage, is assessed as it is no longer considered to be the person's principal private residence. Where the outstanding mortgage is higher than the estimated market value of the property, no capital means are assessed. In these...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Government approved and published a Payment Strategy for the modernisation of welfare payments in December last year. The Strategy sets out a roadmap payment developments over the coming years. It followed a root and branch examination of the Department's payment processes and approaches, reflecting changing consumer preferences and the need to deliver greater economies and efficiencies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications Waiting Times (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: Processing time for individual disability allowance claims can vary depending on the complexity of the claimant's circumstances and the information they provide. Approximately 430 new applications for disability allowance are received each week and are actioned immediately. At present, the average number of weeks to make a decision on a new disability allowance application is just over 11...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I have written to my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on this matter. Since then my officials have met with officials from the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation to consider the issues arising. I expect that this engagement will continue with a view to bringing forward proposals for consideration as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Death Certificates Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The procedures for the registration of a death following an inquest or post-mortem examination are set out in section 41 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. Where a death has been referred to a coroner, it is not possible for another qualified informant to register the death until the coroner's enquiries have been finalised. When the coroner's enquiries have concluded, a coroner's...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 19th August 2013. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer who examined the file and noted that, although the carer's allowance of the person concerned had been suspended pending investigation, no formal decision to disallow her carer's allowance had been given by a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together. The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided almost 90...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 19th February 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 have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

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

Joan Burton: An application for disability allowance was received from the person concerned on 4 November 2013. In order to determine the weekly means of the person concerned his application was forwarded to a social welfare investigator. I understand the investigator will be in contact with the person within the next seven to ten working days. A decision on the person's entitlement to disability...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (1 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. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The workload of the appeals office has increased dramatically in recent years. Up to 2009 the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum, whereas in 2012 the number of appeals received peaked at 35,484, reducing to 32,777 appeals in 2013. This has placed considerable pressure on the office. Significant effort and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeals process to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department received an application for carer's allowance from the person in question on the 2nd November 2012. The person in question was refused carers allowance on the grounds that she was not providing full time care and attention as required and she was attending a course for more than 15 hours per week. The person concerned appealed this decision and the case was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department is currently in the process of evaluating tenders for the provision of employment services under the JobPath initiative. This is a confidential process and is being conducted in accordance with EU and national public procurement rules. No information in relation to any tenders will be released during the evaluation process which is expected to take a number of weeks. In...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th January 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: Invalidity Pension Appeals (1 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 27th March 2014. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: This is not a matter for my Department. My colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has advised that under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988, Teagasc has statutory responsibility for the provision of education, advisory and research services to the agriculture sector. Teagasc operate as a separate non-commercial state agency with their own...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance (DA) on 2 September 2013. In order to satisfy the medical conditions for receipt of DA an applicant must be suffering from a specified disability, illness or injury which is expected to last for at least 12 months and be substantially restricted in obtaining employment suitable to a person of the same age, experience and qualifications....