Results 17,141-17,160 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Issues (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Pathways to Work initiative signalled the potential of contracting with third party providers to supplement and complement existing employment activation services provided by the Department and Local Employment Service (LES), thereby increasing our capacity to serve unemployed people. The potential contribution of such contracting and the design of a contracting approach have since been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Numbers (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 372 together. The number of persons aged 25 or below in receipt of back to education allowance at the end of October was 7,948. A breakdown of the number of recipients by age and education level is contained in the following tabular statement. Number of Recipients of Back to Education Allowance by Age and education levelat end of October, 2013 Age...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Numbers (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. I am however informed that at the end of December in each of the years 2011 and 2012 there were 24,666 and 25,033, respectively, recipients of the back to education allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Activation Projects (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Disability Activation (DACT) Project is jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Department of Social Protection and it is targeted at the Borders, Midlands and Western regions. There are four strands to the overall Project as follows: Strand 1 – Improving Access to Employment Strand 2 – Progression Programmes for Young People Strand 3 – Support for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Application Numbers (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: There were 78,516 persons in receipt of the one-parent family payment at the end of October 2013; of these 9,997 are under 25 years of age. A breakdown of these recipients by age is detailed in the following tabular statement. Recipients of one-parent family payment aged under 25 years Age Recipients of One-Parent Family Payment 15 8 16 38 17 114 18 310 19 526 20 916 21 1,390 22...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Websites (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Career Directions is an interactive service focused on providing jobseekers with information to enable them to make informed career choices and to assist them in developing an action plan to progress their career pathway. In addition, jobseekers may generate a list of careers which are based on their interest by responding to a series of questions. It also offers access to information on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Community Employment (CE) scheme already has provision for persons aged 18 to 35 years of age. The standard age for CE eligibility is currently 25 years of age, but certain disadvantaged cohorts can commence CE at 18 years of age, specifically persons with a disability, Travellers, refugees, offshore islanders, ex-prisoners and appropriately referred stabilised drug misusers.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 18th January 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who considered that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 12th March 2013 outlining the decision to refuse the allowance. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that the Carer’s Allowance claim for the person concerned is currently with a Deciding Officer, who is awaiting notification of amounts previously paid in respect of Jobseeker’s Allowance. Once this notification is received the amount of arrears can be calculated and a cheque for amounts due will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service was established to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to assist people in mortgage arrears or pre-arrears in assessing their options. The service, which differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice, has three elements: - The website which was developed as the key online access portal for general...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been notified today in writing that his disability allowance payment has been increased to the maximum weekly rate of €188.00, with effect from 16 October 2013. First payment at this new rate will be on 4 December 2013 and any arrears due will be issued shortly after this date.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: New applications for carer’s allowance are actioned promptly upon receipt and the current average time taken to decide a new carer’s allowance application is 8 weeks. It should be noted that the processing time for individual applications can vary depending on the complexity of the applicant's circumstances and the completeness of the information they provide in support of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Carer’s allowance is a payment for persons who are providing full-time care and attention to an eligible person and who satisfy a means test. An application for carer’s allowance from the person in question was refused on 11 May 2013 on the ground that the person concerned was not providing full time care and attention as required. She was notified of this decision, the...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 5 September 2013. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (26 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 3 April 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 Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. 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: Child Benefit Payments (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. Child benefit is currently paid to around 612,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure on the jobseeker’s schemes of €3.66 billion in 2013. It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (26 Nov 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. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

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

Joan Burton: The Constitution of Ireland sets out the basic laws describing how Ireland should be governed, the main institutions of the State and the rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens. It also reflects the values at the heart of Irish society. The Constitution can be changed only by a referendum in which every citizen of Ireland, over the age of 18, is entitled to vote. Whilst there is no...