Results 16,341-16,360 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: On 23 January, the total number of persons who have participated on JobBridge was more than 25,200 and there are currently nearly 6,400 participants. Data on current recipients by county are included in the table following this reply. I share the Union of Students in Ireland’s vision that Ireland’s real competitive advantage lies in producing highly skilled, highly qualified...

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

Joan Burton: The transition process for this has been exceptionally difficult because, as the Deputy will appreciate, there are 44 local authority rent schemes and associated computer systems, all of which are different. We would like rent supplement to be properly transferred to local authorities. The disadvantage of rent supplement for somebody who is unemployed is that it constitutes an unemployment...

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

Joan Burton: The Deputy asked about direct deduction at source. We have amended the social welfare legislation on household budgeting, which has major implications for the local authorities. They found that people involved in rent supplement through the RAS were signing in to the household budgeting system to have their deductions taken from their social welfare payment with their agreement but were...

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

Joan Burton: We made an amendment to the legislation to ensure if they wish to leave it they must get the permission of the local authority. That will be of very significant assistance to the local authorities.

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

Joan Burton: I am delighted to hear the Deputy identifying the problems with the rent supplement because during the time of the previous Government the rent supplement became to go-to position and local authorities basically pulled out of being housing providers. Part of that was because local authority estates, some in the Deputy's area and some in mine, had built up problems which the local authorities...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department took over these schemes in early 2012. I have long experience with people who have unfortunately built up addiction problems before going on a long journey of rehabilitation. That journey is important for them and for their families and children. I was a little taken aback to learn of the low level of take-up of these schemes before the Department took responsibility for...

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

Joan Burton: There are approximately 80,000 recipients of rent supplement at present. Just over €344 million has been provided for the scheme in the 2014 Estimates. The Department has no evidence of widespread or systemic false declarations of rent supplement through the use of illegal top-ups. The tenant, landlord or landlord's agent must complete the rent supplement application form, which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy said, the drug rehabilitation scheme plays an important role in helping recovering drug users to develop their personal and employment skills. As Minister, I have provided for a duration of up to three years. It is quite a long journey and one which can be very difficult for some people, so we have endeavoured to make it flexible. In addition to the three years, there is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Deputy Ó Snodaigh is probably making a political charge. I have found Sinn Féin to be very negative on the issue of employment creation. It is shocking, in my view. Our objective is to get people back to work. My Department and I have brought together into the Department formerly disparate organisations such as community employment and the local employment services to make them...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes Places (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of participants on the community employment drug rehabilitation schemes. A key first step in securing this improvement was the establishment of a stakeholder group which assists the Department to identify and implement enhancements to the scheme. In addition, workshops have been held with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The local employment service, LES, is a valuable part of publicly funded employment services. Total LES funding for 2014, at €19.1 million, has been maintained at the same level as last year. In recent months the Department has modernised its approach to working with unemployed jobseekers through the roll-out of Intreo. Under the Intreo approach, the Department provides employment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: It is difficult to please Sinn Féin because at times it seems the party does not want anybody to return to work. Now it appears to be concerned about the provision of additional services. In both the tendering and information processes, a wide range of organisations - some for-profit, some not-for-profit, some community, some LES and some, as the Deputy described, locally based - all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Unemployment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I gave the Deputy the statistics on long-term unemployment at the beginning of my reply. Perhaps he missed that part. The long-term unemployment rate fell from 8.9% at the beginning of 2013 to 7.6% at the end of the year.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Unemployment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: People in long-termed unemployment, who are identified as being more than one year out of work, are the most difficult to place in employment. The reduction in the rate of long-term unemployment - although still too high, it is falling - is an indication of the Department's success in this regard. In regard to the numbers going on from JobBridge to secure further employment, the figure of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Unemployment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: These highly-skilled people were unable to obtain employment because the Government of which Deputy O'Dea was a member never prioritised getting them into work.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Unemployment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: In the year to quarter 3, 2013, the long-term unemployment rate declined from 8.9% to 7.6% and the youth unemployment rate declined from over 31% to 26.5%. EUROSTAT estimates that this fell further to under 25% by the end of 2013. New data for 2013 is expected to be available from the Central Statistics Office in late February. The overall unemployment rate, per the CSO, was 12.4% at the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Unemployment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: There has been progress. Yesterday, for instance, I opened the new Intreo office in Athlone and later in the day I opened the new Intreo office in Longford. They have been well-received in those areas, as they have been throughout the country. Deputy O'Dea was present when I opened the Limerick office late last year. Anyone with an unbiased mind will see that what has happened has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: JobBridge is a voluntary scheme to assist jobseekers in seeking work. It is available to individuals who are currently in receipt of one of Jobseeker’s Allowance/Jobseeker’s Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance payments or who are signing on for credits for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days). Time spent on a range of activation measures, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I do not consider that the comparison with the time limits for claiming tax relief from the Revenue Commissioners is appropriate to the recovery of social welfare overpayments. Furthermore, it is important to point out that the Revenue Commissioners are not restricted by a time limit in terms of collecting tax liabilities. In addition, the Department, unlike the Revenue Commissioners, does...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 375 and 376 together. There were just over 10,300 recipients of farm assist at end December last and nearly €99.5 million was spent on the scheme in 2013. The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker’s allowance. It was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers. Farm assist...