Results 17,161-17,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (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, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of additional evidence or new facts. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Eligibility (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the insolvency payments scheme, which operates under the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act, 1984, which, in turn, derives from EU Council Directive 987/80, is to protect certain outstanding pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. These entitlements include wages, holiday pay, sick pay, payment in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (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: Social Welfare Appeals Status (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 6 December 2013. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

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

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average time taken to process disability allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 29.7 weeks and 38.3 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 420 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (26 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The client is in receipt of rent supplement since 12/11/2012. The supplement is currently in excess of the maximum rent limit of €850 per calendar month, for her household composition and location. Consequently, she has been requested on a number of occasions to have her rent reduced or seek alternative accommodation. Following a review on the 12/07/2013 the client’s rent was...

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 424 together. The Paris Summit was the second in a series of meetings of EU heads of state devoted to discussing youth unemployment. The purpose of the summit was to enable EU leaders and Labour/Social Protection Ministers to share national experiences in dealing with youth unemployment, take stock of the implementation commitments made in the...

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

Joan Burton: The most recent statistics available from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey show the level of youth unemployment has fallen from an average of 75,000 in 2010 to 63,000 in the most recent twelve months for which data are available. The level of employment of young people appears to have stabilised, and indeed the employment rate (proportion of the population with jobs) for...

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

Joan Burton: The most recent statistics available from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey show the level of youth unemployment has fallen from an average of 75,000 in 2010 to 63,000 in the most recent twelve months for which data are available. The level of employment of young people appears to have stabilised, and indeed the employment rate (proportion of the population with jobs) for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Code (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: A person was liable to pay the health contribution where they earned in excess of €500 in any week. However, if over the course of the year their gross annual income was less than €26,000 a refund of the health contribution may be due. In order to confirm that a refund is due my Department must carry out a manual check to ensure that the correct rate of PRSI was applied...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an invalidity pension appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 4 July 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Appeals (21 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 19 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 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Dismissals (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was employed in the Department from January 1990 until his dismissal from the Civil Service in February 2013. During his period of employment, the person received all income due to him by way of salary, allowances, etc. During his service, overpayments arose from unauthorised absences on pension rate of pay, and annual leave being taken over and above what was due....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Payments (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: A back to education allowance is not due to go into payment in the case of the person concerned. The application for a back to education allowance of the person concerned was recently refused as she did not meet the current qualifying criteria. This decision was upheld following a review.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 06th 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The client was requested to provide outstanding information to the Department on the 8th October 2013 which was received on 11 November 2013. Rent supplement application has now been assessed and awarded and payment, including any arrears due, will issue to the client at the end of the month. The client has been duly notified.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The correspondence in question has been referred to the Department’s Employment Services Unit where the matter will be fully investigated. The customer will be notified of the outcome of this investigation as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned was refused by a deciding officer on 4 November 2013 on the ground that the person being cared for was not so invalided or disabled as to require full time care and attention as laid down in Social Welfare legislation. This decision was based upon the evidence supplied to the Department by the applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rural social scheme is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. At present, implementing bodies covering Kerry employ a total of 279 participants and 16 supervisors. I have no plans to...