Results 17,181-17,200 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: It is 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.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Provision was made in the Social Welfare & Pension Act 2012 to allow for Social Welfare Inspectors to exercise certain functions at ports and airports for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act. The measure is a prescribed one in that it allows for a power of enquiry in specific circumstances. The powers came into effect on 7th June 2012. Persons are interviewed where...

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

Joan Burton: I can confirm that Carer’s allowance was stopped from 24th October 2012 in respect of the person in question as, following a review, it was decided that the medical criteria were no longer satisfied. In order for a child under 16 years to be deemed eligible for carer's allowance, domiciliary care allowance must be in payment for that child. In those circumstances, the child is deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (21 Nov 2013)

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 and vacancies advertised since March 2011 are set out in the following table: Agency/Board Number of Appointments Number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: My colleague, the Minister for Finance, announced in Budget 2014 the replacement, from 1 January next, of the one-parent family tax credit by new single person child carer tax credit. The Finance Bill (No. 2), 2013, currently before the Dáil, provides for the new credit which will have the same value as the current tax credit and will be available to the primary carer of a child. The...

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

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of carers allowance appeals from 2008 to 2012 and to date in 2013 is contained in the following table. A total of 2024 carers allowance appeals were processed during 2012. 1,238 (61%) of these appeals had a successful outcome for the appellant. 452 (36.5%) of the successful appeals were in fact revised decisions made by statutorily appointed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Numbers (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested is not available within the timeframe allowed. The Department will contact the Deputy on this matter shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The claim to State pension (transition) of the person concerned was disallowed on 23 October 2013 and he was notified of this decision on the basis that he has a total of 92 full-rate paid social insurance contributions. To be eligible for State pension (transition), he would require a minimum of 520 paid contributions. I have asked that the application be reviewed and the applicant will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Placements (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The objective of JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, is to assist individuals bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. It provides those seeking employment with an opportunity to undertake a 6 or 9 month internship in a host organisation. Participation on the scheme will assist in breaking that cycle whereby unemployed people are unable to get a job without...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (21 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 08th 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 have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together. A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the back to education allowance scheme will have to satisfy a number of conditions one of which is that a person who is aged between 18 and 20 must be out of formal education for at least 2 years. Periods spent on FÁS/Fáilte Ireland full-time Training Courses, FÁS Job...

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

Joan Burton: The persons concerned were deemed to have no entitlement to Rent Supplement during the period from 1st November 2012 to 31st May 2013, by virtue of having no underlying entitlement to a primary social welfare payment, which is one of the qualifying conditions for receipt of Rent Supplement. The persons concerned were in receipt of both Jobseekers Allowance and Rent Supplement up until...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Guardian's Payment Applications (21 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The deciding officer in this case is awaiting further information before a decision can be made on the applicant’s eligibility to guardian’s payment. On receipt of the outstanding information the applicant will be notified of the decision without delay.

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

Joan Burton: An application was received on 24th of October 2013 and a request for further information issued to the client on 30th October 2013. The Department continues to await this information required to process the application and a decision will issue once received.

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

Joan Burton: The deciding officer disallowed the claim for guardian’s payment (contributory) from the person concerned on 30/05/2012 on the basis that the current care arrangements for the child do not satisfy the conditions for receipt of payment. This decision was upheld by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 15/03/2013 and the decision of the Social Welfare Appeals Office is final. If the...

Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: -----and as the Government charts our course towards a post-recovery Ireland, full employment must be the overarching goal of economic policy. Achieving full employment will be how we will leave austerity in the distant past, increase tax revenue, build a viable social insurance system, reduce welfare expenditure and create room for new investment in essential services. As we recover, we...

Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Ireland's exit from the supervision and control of the troika is a good positive step on the road to recovery. It does not solve all our problems. It leaves us, like people after a prolonged period of struggle, building and constructing a better future for our people and communities so that the sacrifices that people have made, undertaken and had imposed on them result in a better Ireland...

Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (20 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I wish to repeat what I actually said - namely, that a search conducted on a leading property website shows that there are a total of 15 one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom properties available for rent in the Ratoath and Ashbourne areas. It must be stressed that part of the issue is the lack of supply. Deputy Doherty suggested that there was a far greater supply. If that is the...

Topical Issue Debate: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (20 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided €403 million in 2013. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Employment Initiative (20 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle all forms of unemployment, including youth unemployment, is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and thus reduce unemployment and long-term unemployment. Past experience...