Results 17,841-17,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 43 and 47 together. The primary purpose of JobBridge is to provide unemployed people with an access route to employment which may otherwise be denied to them, on account of experience, qualifications or other grounds, in a very competitive labour market. JobBridge provides an opportunity to people, who have been unemployed for a period of time, to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: A jobseeker claim may be disallowed where the customer fails to meet the conditions of the scheme, including the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. A range of sanctions in the form of payment rate reductions can also be applied to clients who fail, without good cause, to co-operate with the Department’s activation measures, including offers of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Anti-Poverty Strategy (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The national social target for poverty reduction is to reduce consistent poverty to 4 per cent by 2016 and to 2 per cent or less by 2020, from a 2010 baseline rate of 6.3 per cent. Reducing and ultimately eliminating poverty remains a fundamental aspiration of Irish society and is a commitment of the Government. One component of consistent poverty is basic deprivation, which is the enforced...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: In all cases, it is a legal obligation, and the expectation of the Department, that applicants will supply all relevant information as part of their application process, and that they will subsequently report any changes in their circumstances, as such changes may affect their ongoing entitlements. In the context of State pension (transition/contributory) where an increase of qualified adult...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homeless Persons Data (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 55 together. Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlements to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) and associated supplements, subject to the normal qualifying conditions. The Department, through its work in the Homeless Persons Unit and the Asylum Seekers & New...

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

Joan Burton: The replacement rate for given income levels is a tool used to measure the degree to whichout-of-work benefits when unemployed replace take home income from work. While there is no pre-determined level of replacement rate, which would influence every individual’s decision to work, higher replacement rates may indicate lower incentives to take up employment. In this regard a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (17 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: On the 19 July, 2013, the Cabinet approved the drafting of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2013. I brought this proposal for legislation to the Cabinet as there are a number of important policy issues that I want to see implemented through amendments to the 2004 Act. Two of the principal ones are as follows: - the introduction of measures to combat marriages of convenience by...

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

Joan Burton: The major activation programmes operated in the Department are aimed at increasing the capacity of unemployed people through education and training (for example through the Back to Education Allowance), through offering them periods of productive employment on work of value to the community (for example through Community Employment and Tús) or through offering them periods of work...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Child Benefit is a payment to parents for the support of their children. It is paid to approximately 606,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children with an estimated expenditure of approximately €1.9 billion. I am very conscious of requirement to safeguard the Child Benefit budget and, in this regard, my Department has taken a proactive approach to ensuring that it is only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus is a new simplified scheme which replaced the Employer Job (PRSI) Exemption (effective from 20th June 2010) and Revenue Job Assist (which commenced on 6 April 1998) schemes and is more targeted at channelling full time job opportunities to the longer term unemployed. JobsPlus provides an immediate financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 51 together. As the pension system in Ireland has developed, pensions policy has continued to evolve. In recent years there has been a particular focus on the sustainability of the State pension system because of the demographic issues that Ireland faces; the associated increases in pension and other age related costs; and the deterioration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Voluntary Work Option Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I am deeply conscious of the long tradition of volunteering in this country and the contribution that it makes to Ireland’s social fabric. In recognition of the vital role played by the voluntary community, the Department operates a Voluntary Work Option scheme for customers on the jobseeker schemes. Under these arrangements jobseekers may engage in voluntary work within the State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Skills Development (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Skillnets is a state-funded, enterprise-led support body dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of training and up-skilling as key elements in sustaining Ireland's national competitiveness. They support and fund networks of enterprises engaged in training under a Training Networks Programme. If persons wishes to pursue a part time education course they may be able to do so while...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Information and Communications Technology Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department has, over a considerable number of years, made extensive use of a number of computer systems to administer social welfare schemes and to provide payments to its clients. For the past number of years, it has been engaged in a multi-year Service Delivery Modernisation Programme designed to deliver a high quality, proactive service to our clients. As part of that process a new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Education and Training Provision (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I understand that the Deputy is referring to supports to a person on a social welfare payment from the Department attending a full-time third level course of study. The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling those eligible to certain social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims and appeals are processed as expeditiously as possible. There are currently 20 Medical Assessors, including the Chief Medical Adviser and the Deputy Chief Medical Adviser, employed by the Department. Due to the retirement of several Medical Assessors in recent years a number of vacancies have arisen. In response, the Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus is a new simplified scheme which replaced the Employer Job (PRSI) Exemption (effective from 20 June 2010) and Revenue Job Assist (which commenced on 6 April 1998) schemes and is more targeted at channelling full time job opportunities to the longer term unemployed. JobsPlus provides an immediate financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Report from Social Justice Ireland titled “A Universal Pension for Ireland” recommends a move to a universal based pension system based on residency which would replace the State pension contributory and non-contributory, widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension, qualified adult allowance and which would be financed by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (17 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to housing authorities. Officials in the Department of Social Protection are working with those in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), who are leading the project, to assist with the necessary legal, policy and...