Results 15,601-15,620 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Programmes (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department operates a range of means tested schemes and these schemes, including the means testing elements, are administered through a network of local and central offices. In the case of means tested social assistance schemes, the vast majority of claimants are means tested only once. In a small number of cases, a second means test may be required if they apply for basic supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 515 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 to 505, inclusive, together. Gateway is a work placement initiative which aims to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. Similar to Tús, participants are selected by a random process conducted by the Department from those persons in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 506 and 507. Credited contributions (credits) are a feature of the contributory social insurance schemes. A credit is a pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution awarded to an insured person under certain circumstances, such as proved unemployment. Credits ensure that a person’s insurance record is maintained and can be helpful at a later stage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 14th January 2014. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was disallowed disability allowance on 4 December 2012 on the grounds that his weekly means exceeded the statutory limit allowable for receipt of disability allowance. The person was informed at that time of his right of appeal, within 21 days, of this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has confirmed that no appeal was ever...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Meetings (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am informed by my Department that it has not received any requests from Philanthropy Ireland to meet in 2011, 2012 or 2013 and no meetings with Philanthropy Ireland were held in those years.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (25 Mar 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 15th May 2013. The person in question was refused carer’s allowance on the 1st of July 2013. The person concerned appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The Social Welfare Appeals Office carried out all the necessary investigations on this claim...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: As part of the Department’s overall process to provide a more streamlined and consistent service to the customer and to support the activation commitments under the Pathways to Work Programme and the development of Intreo services nationally, it has been necessary to review the administration of all its services across its remit including the community welfare service (CWS). ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (25 Mar 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus is a pilot incentive which encourages and rewards employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. It takes the form of a cash grant payable monthly in arrears to the employer. In line with commitments made in the Pathways to Work strategy, it is an activation support exclusively targeted at long-term jobseekers who are on the Live Register. Persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation on the 1st July 2011. As at 13th March 2014, 26,874 internship placements have commenced to date with 6,602 participants currently undertaking internships and over 1,908 internship posts available on the JobBridge website Independent research indicates that over 60% of interns progress...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period should be implemented on a phased basis. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of under 25s that have been out of work for four months or more is not collated by my Department. I am however informed that at the end of February 39,101 persons under the age of 25 years old were on the live register for three months or more. The total number of persons under the age of 25 years old on the live register at...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Case officers employed by my Department deliver activation and case management services through Intreo centres and through the network of Departmental offices which are currently transitioning to a full Intreo service. Activation and case management services are also delivered via the Local Employment Service (LES) with 22 Local Development Companies and 1 community group across the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 523, 536, 540, 569 and 570 together. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people 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. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, and not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Intreo Project requires the acquisition and development of some new properties and the re-modelling and refurbishment of others. All of this also entails the re-accommodation of staff including the transfer and set-up of IT, furniture and other utilities across multiple locations. Notwithstanding the complexity of such a large property programme, the Intreo service is fully operational...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (25 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together. A breakdown by occupation, or the nature of the self-employment enterprise, of recipients of the back to work enterprise allowance scheme (BTWEA) is not available from the records held centrally by the Department. An eligible person wishing to commence a business as a taxi driver, as with any other business, may apply for the BTWEA....