Results 16,841-16,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Outstanding information has been received allowing eligibility to be established which resulted in the award of the rent supplement. Any arrears due will issue accordingly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to partially allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. 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: Departmental Reports (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Review of Pension Scheme Wind-Up Priorities was undertaken by Mercer during 2012 at the request of the Department of Social Protection. The review was undertaken to inform the deliberative process regarding the wind up priority provision in section 48 of the Pensions Act. The review primarily considers the technical aspects of the distribution of assets. The objective of the review was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24th October 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. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Dec 2013)

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 80,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 28th August 2013. The application was disallowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 23rd September 2013 advising of the decision. A review of this decision has been requested and additional information on this child’s condition/care needs has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21st August 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 Benefits (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The last Government announced the abolition of the Christmas Bonus as one of the measures in the Supplementary Budget introduced in April 2009. It is now estimated that the payment of a December Bonus, equivalent to 100% of a person’s weekly social welfare rate, to recipients of long-term social welfare payments is of the order of €261 million. Since I became Minister, I...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Section 50 of the Pensions Act permits the Pensions Board on application from the trustees of a defined benefit pension scheme to approve a reduction in the benefits of current and former scheme members and/or the post-retirement increases in benefits where a scheme does not meet the Funding Standard. The provisions in section 11 of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 broadens...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 3rd December 2013. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Labour Court recommended in July 2008 (LCR19293) that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors, and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS. Notwithstanding the positions of the Department (who now has responsibility for CE) in rejecting that liability for these costs to be met from public...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 29th November 2013. I am advised that the Social Welfare Appeals Office has agreed to re-open the appeal of the person concerned by way of granting another oral hearing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Charities Regulation (10 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested is not immediately available in the Department. My Department will write to the Deputy when the information is compiled.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Referral to Select Committee (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection pursuant to Standing Orders 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1) and paragraph (8) of the Orders of Reference of Select Committees.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: I thank all of the Deputies who contributed to what has been an extremely informed debate. I appreciate the fact that people have welcomed the Bill, because a huge amount of work has gone into it and some difficult decisions have had to be made to find the best balance to protect the various interested parties in regard to pensions. Striking that balance is difficult. Some people have...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Sorry, on a point of information, the Deputy----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputy Shortall is----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: It is wrong to imply that I, as a Minister, have sought to interfere with the courts in the operation of----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputy Shortall should withdraw that statement.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy should withdraw that statement.