Results 17,081-17,100 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (28 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on 17 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. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided €403 million in 2013. The aim of rent supplement is to provide short term income assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. Revised rent limits under the rent supplement scheme have come into force with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 2nd 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. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Structures (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department’s Management Board consists of the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary, ten Assistant Secretaries, the Chief Appeals Officer and the Chief Medical Adviser. An organisational chart to Principal level is attached showing total staff reporting to each Assistant Secretary. There are some 6500 people in the Department. The Department has undergone considerable...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Appeals (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20 November 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: Departmental Contracts (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 113 to 119, inclusive together. The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Community Employment (CE) participants are legally under contracts of employment with the CE Sponsoring organisation. CE Participants have all the same legal protections as any other person under a contract of employment (with the exception of they cannot be employed on contracts of indefinite duration). CE Participants pay PRSI and PAYE (where applicable). The wages they receive on CE are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 21 November 2013 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 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: National Internship Scheme Placements (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person to whom the Deputy refers is in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance, which was means tested resulting in a weekly rate of €64.60. Under the scheme, JobBridge interns continue to receive their Social Welfare payment at its current rate together with the weekly €50 top-up. The Department is not in a position to make exceptions to this rule.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 24 July 2013. This application was approved with effect from 31 October 2013, with the first payment being made on this date. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 1 October 2013. There are no arrears due to the person concerned as he was in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services Provision (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The provision of all child care services and any future plans in this regard is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Francis Fitzgerald T.D. The Scandinavian child care model, while being a very comprehensive model, is also a very expensive model. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (D/CYA) estimates that the cost of universal child care provision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Eligibility for EU funding through the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) for the period 2014-2018, which is being front-loaded in the two years 2014 and 2015, will be based on 2012 regional youth unemployment rates. Hence, any change in Ireland’s regional youth unemployment rates, which were above 25% in 2012 for both the Border, Midlands & Western region and the Southern...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of an Invalidity Pension appeal by the person concerned having been received by that office. I understand from the Social Welfare Appeals Office that a Disability Allowance appeal was registered in respect of the person concerned in that office on 17 July 2013. However, this appeal was closed on 16 August 2013; it was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (27 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection funds and manages a number of employment schemes with the objectives for providing a mix of policy responses and opportunities for person who are unemployed. All programmes are open and accessible to person aged 55 years and over. No specific actions are undertaken or targeted at unemployed persons in this age group.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The new provisions include post-retirement increases if they form part of the figure of 50% for expected benefits in a double insolvency, or if payment of the increases is the final point in the order of priorities order in the case of a single or double insolvency. On retrospection, based on advice received, the legislation will apply to any scheme which is wound up after the legislation has...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As Senator Bradford stated there are a number of reasons pension funds in Ireland got into trouble. Most importantly, significant promises and commitments were made by employers in good faith about levels of pension coverage when people retired but, unfortunately, the Irish economy crashing was a key contributor to very difficult performances by pension funds. Another issue is that funds...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The key provisions I am introducing today relate mainly to occupational pensions. They address difficult issues of equity and fairness and have been under careful consideration for some time. The issues date back over much of the past decade and have been raised in both the 2007 Green Paper on pensions and the 2010 national pensions framework, both of which were published with much fanfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The conditions which attach to a pension scheme are a matter for the rules of a particular scheme and perhaps may form part of the employment contract. This is not a matter which I can comment on. The person concerned should be advised to contact her employer/trustee of the pension scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I have attached, for your information, a table which sets out the number of persons signing on the live register at local offices in Counties Longford and Westmeath in December 2011, December 2012 and October 2013. It should be noted that a local office may serve customers from adjacent counties as well as the county in which the local office is located, particularly if the office is located...