Results 17,501-17,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Details of the staffing of the Office for Social Inclusion for each of the years from 2008 are as shown in the following tabular statement. In the period since 2008, there have been a number of changes in the structure and responsibilities of the section which can be summarised as follows: In 2008 – the section responsible for social inclusion policy also had responsibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Inclusion Division has produced a total of 42 reports over the period 2009 to 2013. The reports are accessible on and .

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus provides an immediate financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term unemployed on the live register. The incentive is payable, on a monthly basis, over a two year period while the employee is retained in full time employment. JobsPlus replaced the Employer Job (PRSI) Exemption and Revenue Job Assist schemes in July this year. It is more...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 459, inclusive, together. Where a person who is under 25 years of age is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing with a parent or step parent. The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: At end of October 2013 there were a total of 63 persons who were in receipt of both jobseekers benefit and rent supplement in this age category.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: At end of October 2013 there were a total of 4,129 persons who were in receipt of both jobseekers allowance and rent supplement in this age category.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Applications (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 to 465, inclusive, together. The number of persons aged under 26 in receipt of jobseeker's benefit or in receipt of jobseeker's allowance at the end of September are 4,302 and 60,742 respectively. A breakdown of the number of recipients, adult dependents and child dependents by scheme is contained in the following tabular statement. Number of under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: At present, budget allocations for individual schemes do not specify the amounts to be spent on different age groups. The estimate of current expenditure on relevant programmes was based on estimated uptake by unemployed young people in 2012 on:- FÁS full-time training for unemployed people – 10,000;- The Back-to Education Allowance – 5,000;- JobBridge – 2,600;-...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: ‘Your First EURES job’ is an initiative funded by the EU Commission, the scheme assists young people throughout Europe who wish to take up work in another EU/EEA country. The support provided includes financial assistance to both the employee and the employer. The support includes a contribution to the employee towards the cost of travelling to another EU/EEA country to attend...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Gateway aims to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. In line with Pathways to Work, Gateway will help to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. The process of identifying work opportunities has been underway in each county and city council, including the necessary consultation with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 472 and 526 together. A key objective of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1st October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. As part of this process and to support the Department’s activation commitments under the Pathways to Work Programme and the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Eligibility (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy has been informed, it is not possible to assess and determine a person’s entitlement to a State pension (non-contributory) until a fully completed application is received in my Department from the person concerned. I understand that the person concerned in already in receipt of a State Pension (contributory). However, if they wish to apply for a non-contributory...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (5 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 22nd August 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: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: JobPath is the working title assigned to the Government’s proposed new programme of labour market activation aimed specifically at the long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. JobPath will be delivered by third party providers of employment services under contract to the Department. It is intended to publish a contract notice for the procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The current referral rules for applicants to Community Employment (CE) positions state that their eligibility to apply for the position is established at the time of referral for interview to the CE employer by a DSP Employment Services or Intreo office. If the eligible person is successful at interview and is offered and accepts the position pending the outcome of Garda vetting (where it is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: This Department provides a wide range of second chance educational opportunities for unemployed people, lone parents and persons with disabilities. New entrants to the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme are subject to the prevailing qualifying conditions and rates of payment at the time of their inclusion on the scheme. A person who defers an offer of a place on a new course of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Customer Charters (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department provides a range of contact channels for its customers including LoCall telephone numbers, face to face, e-mail, SMS (text) and through our website . The Department receives in excess of six million telephone calls a year across its network of local offices and headquarters buildings. LoCall numbers have been in operation across the Department’s scheme areas for many...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Repayments Issues (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was to provide short term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only. There are currently approximately 10,500 people in receipt of mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Code (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Overall policy in relation to the level of taxation and other costs imposed on business (including employers’ social contributions) and their impact on the level of employment in the economy is a matter for the Ministers for Finance and Jobs Enterprise and Innovation.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 16th October 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...