Results 16,321-16,340 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: First, people are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. A married person with a spouse and three children would possibly get €400 or €500 per week in the total social welfare package. The figure will be significantly higher if, for instance, he or she is also in receipt of rent supplement. Giving people an additional top-up of €50 is intended to assist with travel costs...

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I would be happy to do so. A number of issues have arisen, the first and most important of which has been the inherited backlog in applications for the domiciliary care allowance. Approximately 40% of those who receive that allowance go on to claim either a full-time or half-rate carer's allowance. The second issue is the backlog in applications for carer's allowance and delays in the...

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: -----and the free travel pass, which are important supports.

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: In difficult economic times, we have what is probably the best package of supports for carers in Europe, including income support and the travel pass. We have been able to maintain this position whereas the Deputy's current party cut the weekly carer's rate by €16.40.

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: This is the cut that received the most complaints in the feedback.

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Deputy Keaveney asked me about the feedback.

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: This is what is most mentioned to me in the feedback.

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: To date, more than 25,200 jobseekers have participated on JobBridge. I am happy to report that it currently has 6,400 participants. The scheme has proved to be extremely popular with people who, unfortunately, are unemployed and who have been unable to get work experience. In the past, internships tended to be offered in professional or graduate-type roles and proved to be an effective...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I meet via Tús the finest people who are contributing to their local community, 7,000 at any one time, and who, thankfully, are getting employment. That is something the Deputy and I should be celebrating, not condemning.

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The financial supports available to carers in Ireland are among the highest rates of income support in Europe. Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years and it is estimated the overall expenditure for 2014 will be €806 million, which is €4.6 million higher than the expected outturn for 2013. This does not include the value of other welfare payments,...

Other Questions: Respite Care Grant Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I am sure the Deputy knows, and I think spoke about, the fact that the most grievous change relating to carers was the reduction of €16.40 per week in disability payments and other payments related to people who may have been looked after by carers, which reduction was introduced by the Deputy's new party, Fianna Fáil. That would be the strongest communication to me from carers,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I have just come from publishing our proposals in regard to the youth guarantee. Honestly, I do not understand what Sinn Féin's problem is with young people getting employment and being facilitated to get employment experience in a situation where, following the bank guarantee, which the Deputy's party supported initially, along with others, this country lost 300,000 jobs. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Not only that, but for people like construction engineers, we have sponsored back-to-education postgraduate qualifications, followed by an internship and followed by an offer of high-level employment with IT companies for two years and more. What is there to argue with on that?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I think the Deputy is politicking now because-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: How can he conceivably suggest, on behalf of Sinn Féin, that six months work experience for anyone who has been unemployed is somehow destructive when we have had 300,000 people in this country lose their jobs? JobBridge offers them an opportunity to hold onto their social welfare, get a top-up payment of €50 and get very valuable work experience, which the research shows, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: -----has helped 61% of people to get into work. There is no one way in which all of the unemployed people who are in this country will get employment; it is in a whole series of different ways. The Deputy made very disparaging comments about Tús. I travel to community centres all around this country. Let me tell the Deputy and Sinn Féin that I meet-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Does Deputy Ó Snodaigh just want to shout?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Deputy is shouting.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: He is shouting.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: -----and to transfer responsibility for housing to the local authority housing department, where it should be, and therefore allow people on a local authority supplemented rent to access employment because at the moment it is an employment trap. With the change in legislation, we have now offered a very attractive amendment to the local authorities because all around the country, in Dublin,...