Results 17,261-17,280 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is paid up to and including the month of a child’s 16th birthday and continues to the month of the 18th birthday provided the child is in full-time education. In order for payment to continue after the age of 16, it is necessary for the school or college to certify that the child is in full-time education and will be until the age of 18. In the case of the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The over 80 allowance is an additional payment of €10 per week automatically paid to recipients of State pension on attaining 80 years of age. It is a benefit paid on the basis of the qualification of the primary person in receipt of the pension payment. An increase for a qualified adult is normally paid where the qualified adult does not have enough contributions to claim a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental Youth Guarantee Implementation Group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The terms of reference for this group are to review the current range of youth employment policies in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Garda Vetting of Personnel (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Approval to work, or train to work, with children and/or vulnerable adults is granted upon successful completion of the recruitment and selection process which includes appropriate vetting checks with the Garda Central Vetting Unit. No community employment participant may work or train with children and/or vulnerable adults pending the outcome of the Garda vetting process. Applicants already...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is in the process of major organisational change following the transfer of responsibility for Community Welfare Services and FÁS employment and community employment services. In implementing this challenging programme of change, the objective is to ensure that all services provided are co-ordinated and support customers through the development of improved processes and the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Increasing State pension age and the abolition of the State pension (transition) are steps that have been taken to ensure the sustainability of pensions into the future. The decision to reform State pension was taken in the context of changing demographics and the fact that people are living longer and healthier lives. These changes are already provided for in legislation. The Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Over 2,000 persons are employed as retained (part-time) fire-fighters, providing services which are vitally important to their communities. Typically, these workers provide services in rural and less densely populated areas but larger urban centres may also have a cohort of part-time workers. Retained fire-fighters who are otherwise unemployed are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The delivery of the Intreo service comprises a number of elements. The main elements being: 1. The integration of the various welfare decision making processes to speed up decision making and minimise recourse to supplementary welfare payments. 2. The introduction of a profiling process to capture the unique characteristics and service requirements of each jobseeker. 3. The implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: 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 intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The client’s rent allowance, which is currently in payment, was reviewed on 28th August 2013 to bring it within the maximum limit applicable based on family composition and area of residence. A 12-week period is allowed to reduce rent to the appropriate limit or find alternative accommodation. A reminder outlining the need to adhere to the appropriate rent limit issued from the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department aims to process and pay without delay all successful appeals returned by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). In general, across schemes, there are no delays in implementing successful appeals. However, in the disability allowance (DA) area, temporary delays are currently being experienced by some successful appellants. These delays are arising due to the large number...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus is a new employer incentive which encourages and rewards employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. This incentive replaced the employer Job PRSI Exemption Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist from the 1 July 2013. Regular cash payments are made to qualifying employers to offset wage costs when they engage eligible jobseekers. Eligible employees must...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Appeals (19 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Following a review in July 2013, the mortgage interest supplement payment to the person concerned was stopped as her means were calculated to be in excess of the allowable interest on the mortgage. The person concerned has appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office who will be in touch with her in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (14 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 the 11th of 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As of the end of September 2013 there were a total of 234,091 people in receipt in each of the following payments; illness benefit, disability allowance, the blind pension, injury benefit, disablement benefit and invalidity pension. I have attached a breakdown of the number of recipients in each of these schemes at the end of September 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for your...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 15 April 2013. He was awarded this pension on reaching 66 years of age, at a rate of €196 per week, with effect from 11 September 2013. He subsequently notified the Department that he may have had additional self-employment contributions due for the tax year 1988/89. The Department has confirmed that there are no...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Voluntary Work Option Issues (14 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I am deeply conscious of the long tradition of volunteering in this country and I am committed to ensuring this valuable tradition continues to thrive. To facilitate this commitment to the voluntary community, my Department operates a Voluntary Work Option for customers on the Jobseeker schemes. Under these arrangements, a Jobseeker customer may engage in voluntary work within the State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (14 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 convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (14 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 11th 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...