Results 17,561-17,580 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: Given the scale of the unemployment crisis, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance 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 October 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance 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 21st August 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...

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for a back to education allowance in respect of a FETAC level 5 course. The person concerned advised that she had already completed two FETAC level 5 courses. The application was refused on the grounds that she was not progressing her qualifications, which is one of the qualifying criteria. The claim was reviewed on 23 September 2013 and the decision was upheld.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's 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 30th 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is published by the Central Statistics Office on their web site . I am informed that at the end of June 2012 there were 17,136 persons participating in internship schemes and self-employment support schemes compared to 17,257 at the end of June 2013. A breakdown of the participants by scheme and year is detailed in the tabular statement. Scheme June...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Issues (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. In 2013 my Department will spend €297.4 million on Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit, in respect of a weekly average of 21,800 recipients. Budget 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Activation Projects (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The ‘Working with arthritis: Strategies and Solutions' program is one of 14 separate projects being funded by my Department under the Disability Activation Project (DACT) with the support of the European Social Fund. The objective of these projects, which will run until the first quarter of 2015, is to explore a variety of routes towards ensuring that people with disabilities are...

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 referred to an Appeals Officer on 3rd October 2013 who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. In the event that the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet his needs, it is open to him to contact...

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 17th 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 papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: European Employment Service (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The European Employment Service, known as EURES was founded by the EU to further the development of a common labour market. The Department of Social Protection is required to provide the Eures service in Ireland and is obliged under European Law to bring to the attention of jobseekers in Ireland all employment opportunities in the EU/EEA which may be suitable for, and/or of interest to them....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Review (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The free travel scheme was introduced in 1967 in order to provide transport services to those aged over 70 who were living alone and in receipt of a social welfare pension. Owing to the range of policy changes implemented in the interim, the scheme is now universally available to all persons permanently living in the State aged over 65, as well as carers in receipt of carers allowance, and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Appeals (5 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, has decided to partially allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. 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: Registration of Deaths (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The loss of a child in any circumstances is an extremely tragic event for a family and I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to those families who have lost children. The procedures governing the registration of deaths are provided for under Part 5 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. When a death occurs it is registered on foot of a certificate of cause of death supplied by a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (5 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, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

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

Joan Burton: A self-employed person cannot be deemed to meet the qualifying conditions for State pension (contributory) unless all outstanding PRSI contributions are paid. The person concerned has outstanding liabilities with Revenue for the 2008 and 2010 income tax years. The person concerned should notify the Department when the outstanding liabilities have been fully discharged, at which point their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2014 (5 Nov 2013)

Joan Burton: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement. Measure Savings 2014 € million Savings Full Year € million Recovery of social welfare payments - Recover the value of certain social welfare payments from compensation awards made to persons in relation to loss of earnings.  To be introduced in 2014. 21 22 Illness Benefit - Increase the number...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement 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 20th August 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...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I think the answer is "not negatively" but if, for example, the employer wishes to contribute to the scheme in order to provide for additionally, that would be completely possible. Due to the fall in stock market values which lasted until recently - this year and last year stock market values have begun to increase significantly - pension funds across the western world experienced...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputy O'Dea may recall that his own Government produced key documents in 2007 and 2010. In the context of changing population age structures in Ireland, the recommendation of those documents and the framework relating to pensions was that the population age be raised to 66. The Government at the time agreed to that and it became policy. It also set out the trajectory of the subsequent...