Results 16,141-16,160 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Authority Functions (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: There is a high level of interaction between local authorities and the Department of Social Protection in the provision of housing assistance. For instance, the Rent Supplement scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Application Numbers (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is collated at county level by my Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. Work has commenced on the compilation of data for the production of the 2013 report. However, the most recent data available, at present, in respect of the number of persons in receipt of invalidity pension and the number...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (12 Feb 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 convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The person concerned may claim reasonable travel...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 March 2013. 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 Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Administration (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Free travel passes are already widely used on bus routes which are operated by private companies. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Applications (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned made an application for one-parent family payment on 7 November 2013. The file was forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation as this forms part of the application process. The Inspector’s investigations are now complete and the file has been returned to a deciding officer. Notification of the decision on the application will issue as soon as...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (12 Feb 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 disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The JobBridge scheme is considered suitable for those who are already job-ready and unemployed and wish to gain work experience and remain active in the labour market. The Community Employment (CE) scheme is aimed at those who are long-term unemployed and not ready for employment (those who are 12 months plus on the Live Register) or from other disadvantaged cohorts (e.g. drug...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: Responsibility for the Rural Social Scheme and the Community Services Programme, the staff of which are based in the Government Offices in Tubbercurry, County Sligo transferred to my Department from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in August 2010. Details of the number of staff and posts are shown in the following table. The staffing of all sections in my...

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned was disallowed a jobseekers allowance claim on the grounds that he not genuinely seeking employment. The person concerned had advised the Department that he was not looking for work during part of a review process. If the person concerned can provide evidence that he is genuinely seeking employment, his entitlement to a payment will be reviewed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (12 Feb 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. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 together. The eligibility to access JobBridge is based on the overall objective of labour market policy in ensuring a pathway to appropriate employment, training and education opportunities for those on the Live Register. JobBridge has been launched in this targeted way to allocate scarce exchequer resources fairly while ensuring that it does...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The one-parent family payment (OFP) is a payment for persons who are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. In order to get this payment, a person must first meet certain qualifying conditions, satisfy a means test, and be habitually resident in the State. The OFP payment, by its nature, is only payable to persons who are widowed, separated or divorced, unmarried...

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

Joan Burton: The major elements of my Department’s response to unemployment are set out in the Pathways to Work policy which is aimed at ensuring that as many as possible of the job vacancies that are created are filled by people from the Live Register, with a particular focus on those who are long term unemployed or at risk of long-term unemployment. The Pathways to Work policy aims, with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (12 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals office has advised me that the payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 5th December 2013 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure (11 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277, 298, 310 and 322 together. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21st November 2013. 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: Social Welfare Payments Administration (11 Feb 2014)

Joan Burton: I am informed that Ballytruckle Post Office reopened at 11.15 a.m. on Tuesday 4th February 2014 and all social welfare payments are being processed as normal. The Post Office had been closed due to flooding on Monday 3rd February 2014 and arrangements were put in place to make payments at Waterford Post Office - payments were available from approximately 12 noon on Monday 3rd February 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (11 Feb 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 5th 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...