Results 17,801-17,820 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Far from it. Some months ago we commissioned a consultancy to advise us on how we should tailor an Irish solution. This commission involved international experts, with the use of Irish expertise. Some months ago we issued a PIN notice, a notice of interest, and arranged a consultation with groups and organisations, both not-for-profit organisations and organisations in the private sector,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Data (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: As of 10 October, 21,842 internships have commenced, since JobBridge was launched in July 2011. Some 5,918 jobseekers are completing an internship, while 2,948 internships are advertised and available to jobseekers. I am increasing the maximum number of internships a jobseeker can undertake from two to three and the maximum cumulative duration from nine months to 18. This measure is being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Data (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy seems to have much less hope, optimism and admiration for young people than I do. I speak as someone who has taught tens of thousands of students at third level in a long career spent with young people. I suggest the Deputy walk down any street in Ireland - or perhaps he might come with me - when he will meet young people and their parents who have had a very positive experience...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection has been taking over an increasing number of schemes from the HSE. Many of those files, including DCA files, had review dates mandated on them when they arrived in my Department. After I became Minister I changed the review notification for the new DCA awards, but we have inherited mandated instructions on files from the Department of Health. We have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Pathways to Work represents the single biggest ever change to how the State engages with and provides services to people who are unemployed. It is delivering on the programme for Government commitment to set up a national employment and entitlements service and involves a multi-annual programme of organisational, process, people and work changes running to the end of 2014. We started in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputy O'Dea referred to the OECD and troika report. That report began by saying that had the previous Government, of which the Deputy was a distinguished member for a long time, introduced any of the reforms with regard to helping people to get back to work, we would have entered the crisis with 100,000 fewer unemployed people. The report recognised that we began with the extraordinary...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I did not get to that point in the reply.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: There is no cut for anyone under 25 years who is on a payment. These measures will take effect for new people entering the relevant age groups. I am sure the Deputy accepts this.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: This measure was introduced in 2009 and was one I supported at the time. My philosophy is to get young people into education and training-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Signing on at 18 years of age is not the best for a young person. In Northern Ireland Sinn Féin, in power, has done nothing to tackle the equivalent youth unemployment rate there which is almost one third higher when compared relatively. We are going to spend €46 million on additional measures for young people. We will spend significantly more on training them, JobsPlus and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: By 30 June more than 33,800 more people were at work in Ireland, a significant achievement. For the 21,000 young people who took part in a JobBridge internship scheme, over 60% have gone on to find further work, another significant achievement. We have fantastic young people who have studied and sought to become financially independent. It is my intention as Minister for Social Protection...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring claims and appeals are processed as expeditiously as possible. There are 20 medical assessors, including the chief medical adviser and the deputy chief medical adviser, employed by the Department. Owing to the retirement of several medical assessors in recent years, several vacancies have arisen. In response, the Department, in conjunction with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Since the economy collapsed in 2009, there has been an explosion in the number of applications for social welfare payments and, as a consequence, an explosion in the number of appeals. In 2009 the average number of appeals received was 15,000. By 2012, it was 35,000. I am thankful that the Deputy has acknowledged the heavy investment we made and work that has been done in upgrading the IT...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Overpayments (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is not in a position to write off overpayments. This is something that Deputies who are members of the Committee of Public Accounts might take up with the Comptroller and Auditor General because, in its annual report, the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General calculates all overpayments going back into the mists of time. There is no arrangement to write off...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Overpayments (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I urge the Deputy to bring the details of that specific case to my office and I will examine it. The Department makes variable arrangements depending on the circumstances of the individual. Prior to the introduction of new legislation, the Department could only collect €2 per week from people who had been overpaid. Frankly, some of the people involved in fraud were paying back...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Deputies will be aware that the expenditure report of 2013 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform last December provided for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €440 million to be achieved in 2014 in the Department of Social Protection budget. Again this year I sought to minimise the impact of the necessary adjustments to my Department’s...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Overpayments (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: It is the Department's policy to investigate and pursue all overpayments so as to protect public moneys to the greatest extent possible. People who have received an overpayment from the Department have a liability under law to refund the amounts involved. They have received moneys to which they were not entitled. In 2012, overpayments amounting to €97 million were recorded. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2014 (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I am keenly aware that the expenditure reductions in this Budget will impact on some social welfare recipients. However, the lower adjustment of €226 million, rather than the €440 million originally requested of the Department means I have protected the weekly social welfare payments upon which people depend as well as crucial supplementary payments such as the Fuel Allowance,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Review (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) is an in-work income support for employees with families on low earnings, who otherwise might be at risk of financial poverty. FIS also preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming social welfare. Expenditure on FIS for 2012 was of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme which helps long-term unemployed people and other vulnerable groups to re-enter the workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The programme assists them to enhance and develop both their technical and personal skills which can then be used in the workplace.The CE programme is...