Results 16,421-16,440 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: As outlined previously to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question 45021-13 on 23rd of October 2013 the person concerned is in receipt of full entitlement. As the Deputy is aware changes in Budget 2014 increased the minimum contribution towards Rent and Mortgage Interest Supplement for couples by €5 per week, from €35 to €40 for new and existing recipients. This equates to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on the 30th September 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These were requested from the Department on 6th November 2013.. When these papers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Appeals (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was previously in receipt of a one-parent family payment. An annual review form was issued to her on 11th November 2013 for completion, however, the form was not returned. On 2nd December 2013 her payment was suspended and as she did not make any contact with her local office, her claim was subsequently closed on 17th December 2013. The person concerned submitted a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: A total of 410,725 live register claims were closed 2013. Information relating to the total number who found full-time or part-time employment is not available in my Department. However, the breakdown of closure reasons as offered by people when they signed off is set out in the attached tabular statement along with the duration of their claim on exiting the live register. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Bodies (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department, as part of its overall governance systems has an Audit Committee which operates under a written charter (or rules). There are currently five members, three of whom are external to the Department. One of the external members is chairperson to the committee. Members are not required to hold a professional qualification but in line with the recommendations of the Mullarkey...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 to 434, inclusive, together. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from...

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

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of appeals currently on hand and the average waiting time for each category of social welfare payment is contained in the table below. The average processing time for all appeals peaked in 2011 at 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.1 weeks for a summary decision. In 2012, processing times improved by 10.3 weeks when the...

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

Joan Burton: The information requested by the deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. Claim applications for State Pension Non- Contributory and State Pension Contributory 2011, 2012 and 2013. Scheme 2011 2012 2013 State Pension (Non-Contributory) 7,344 9,035 9,429 State Pension (Contributory) 36,281 35,198 39,215

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I established the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare in 2011 to harness expert opinion and experience to address a number of specific issues around the interaction of the tax and social protection systems, recommend cost-effective solutions as to how employment incentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes achieved. The Advisory Group is currently progressing its final module...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not segregated from the total number of jobseekers allowance claims pending decision, which I am informed was 10,148 at the end of December 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. Live Register Year end and average for 2011, 2012 and 2013 - 2011 2012 2013 Total Live Register 434,784 423,733 395,411 Change from previous year -2,295 -11,051 -28,322 Percentage change over the previous year -0.5% -2.5% -6.7% Monthly Average for the Year 444,905 436,254 418,950

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 5th April 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors, who provided an opinion that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 5th June 2013 advising of the decision to disallow the application. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the free travel pass and the social services card of this Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Details of appointments to the Boards over the last three years are set out in the following table: Agency/Board Number of appointments made as a result of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (28 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: My Department engages a range of consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (expert analysis and advice). The majority of consultancy expertise is to support the Department in implementing a multi-annual service delivery modernisation (SDM) programme to enhance the efficiency and quality of delivery of services to the customer. This...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: Yes. The programme for Government contained a commitment to use, if necessary, external resources, which does not relate simply to the private sector but could refer to the not-for-profit sector, voluntary organisations or community organisations. The Department already outsources a significant amount of work. I referred to the contract for An Post that we signed before Christmas, which is...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: We will not know until we get the return of the tenders because, essentially, we will ask people to provide employment support services specifically with the idea of getting people into work. One example we have currently is the local employment service, which involves locally established companies. There are a number of those around the country. We outsource social welfare clients to them...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is responsible for the seniors alert scheme which provides grant support for the supply of equipment to enable older people without sufficient means to continue to live securely in their homes. The grant assistance is made available to community and voluntary groups registered with the Department. I understand organisations...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: The answer is no in regard to some organisations. They have spoken to me about improvements in technology. From talking to them, I appreciate it is important that people have such contact. I stress that, in addition to the other pension payments, we pay an additional €7.70 a week to older people living on their own.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Joan Burton: I am aware of that. As I said and acknowledge again, ensuring an adequate income for older people, widows and pensioners, has been a core principle across the political divide and I hope it is a very solid agreement among all political parties.