Results 15,681-15,700 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, has developed a rules based standard for establishing and authenticating an individual’s identity for the purposes of access to public services. This programme of work, which is known as the Standard Authentication Framework Environment or SAFE for short provides for a number of levels...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Data on participation on full-time activation programmes have been published by the CSO only since the beginning of 2007. Figures for participation at the end of January in each year since then are contained in Table 1 as follows. Table 1: Participation in Activation Programmes End- Jan 2007 to End Jan 2014 Participation in Activation Programmes - End-Jan 2007 End-Jan 2008 End-Jan 2009...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: In line with the Department’s guidelines, the person concerned is entitled to receive jobseeker’s benefit beyond the normal entitlement period of 9 months up until the date on which she reaches pensionable age, her 66th birthday. Arrangements have been put in place by her Intreo Office to ensure that her payments will continue until that time.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (12 Mar 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 28 February 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of this case was scheduled to take place on 26 February 2014. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the hearing had to be cancelled and the person concerned was advised of this by telephone on 25 February 2014. Every effort will be made to re-convene the hearing as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (12 Mar 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 28 February 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case. It is anticipated that the hearing will be scheduled for week-commencing 31 March 2014. The person concerned will be informed of the arrangements for the hearing when finalised. The Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered the matter, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by means of a summary decision dated 22 January. However, following the submission of additional information by the person concerned, the Appeals Officer, having reviewed the matter, has decided to set aside his original...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme 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. There are currently approximately 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Customer Services (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department operates more than 70 schemes across a number of different information technology systems catering for some 2 million new claims annually and issues some 80 million payments to customers each year. Due to the number of different technology systems currently in use it would be a major exercise to develop a tracking system as described. Over the past number of years extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Meetings (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Neither I nor officials in my Department have met with Communicorp Group Ltd or representatives of this company since I took office in March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I was very pleased to sign a multi-year contract with An Post for the delivery of over the counter cash services to welfare clients in December last year. This contract enables the disbursement of cash payments to some nine hundred thousand (900,000) customers currently. These services are provided through a network of over 1,300 post offices and agencies around the country. We are all...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (12 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Pensions are a long-term investment aimed at ensuring that people have an adequate income in retirement and Government policy supports this aspiration through generous tax reliefs. In general, people are only permitted to access their pension savings at the retirement age defined in their pension schemes. Schemes may have early retirement provisions from age 50 and when retirement is caused...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Expenditure (11 Mar 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 8,900 people in receipt of mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: Gateway was introduced by the Department to deliver on the policy objectives set out in Pathways to Work and is designed to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with individual county and/or city councils. Gateway has a target to provide for 3,000 placements focusing on those who have been unemployed for 24...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The wage subsidy scheme (WSS) was formally launched in 2005 and was one the employment support schemes for people with disabilities which transferred to the Department from FÁS in 2012. The scheme is aimed at employers with a view to incentivising the employment of people with disabilities in the open labour market. The WSS is payable where the employee works a minimum of 21 hours per...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The Budget changes which apply to PRSI have impacted on all employees who are paying an A class PRSI contribution and earning more than €352, including those on Tús. The majority of Tús participants earn €352 or less and there will be no change as the 0% rate of Employees PRSI that applies. As the Deputy will be aware, taxation procedures are primarily a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: The age limit for receipt of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is 16 years. The person concerned stopped receiving DCA payments when the child reached the age of 16 years in July 2013. A letter issued in March 2013 advising that payment of the allowance was due to end in July 2013 and that the child could apply for disability allowance in his own right.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (11 Mar 2014)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer has considered both the illness benefit and disability allowance appeals of the person concerned. Having fully examined both appeals the Appeals Officer has decided to disallow the illness benefit appeal and has decided to allow the disability allowance appeal. Both appeals were decided by way of summary decision and...