Results 17,941-17,960 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (15 Oct 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 10 October 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service Issues (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Waiting lists for training courses are managed by the relevant training providers. Clients are referred to training providers by the Local Employment Service (LES) as well as the Department’s own employment services. Regular contact is maintained with clients during the activation process so that issues, such as prolonged waiting lists for courses, can be identified and addressed. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The State pension is a very valuable asset and it is important, that those who receive it have made a significant contribution towards it during a working life as the State needs to ensure that it can continue to sustain pension payments in the future. I understand the Deputy is referring to the current averaging system used in calculating State pension. One of the key factors when...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a universal monthly payment that assists all families with in the many costs associated with raising children up to the age of 18 years. Child benefit is paid to around 606,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion. Child benefit is a highly valued income support by families, and is especially important...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) is an in-work 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 order...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The main conclusion from European Heads of State and the European Labour and Social Protection Ministers at the Berlin conference in July 2013 was that implementation of the EU Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee should focus on: - The development of a vocational dual-training model as used in Germany and Austria - i.e., an expanded system of formal apprenticeships featuring classroom based...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on 28th May 2013. The application was disallowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 1st August 2013 advising of the decision. A review of this decision has been requested and additional information on this child’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Payment of disability allowance, to the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer following an assessment by a Medical Assessor of the Department of Social Protection who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for disability allowance. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together. The official measure of unemployment is the figure for people unemployed reported by the Central Statistics Office in the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). This figure is compiled and calculated in accordance with international standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is directly comparable with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: JobsPlus was launched on 8th July 2013. This is a new incentive to encourage employers to recruit and employ persons who have been unemployed for long periods. It replaced this Department’s Employer Job PRSI Incentive Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist Scheme managed by the Revenue Commissioners. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and creating a full-time position, employers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 26th July 2013. The application was disallowed as it was considered that the child does not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 5th September 2013 advising of the decision. The person concerned has now supplied additional information and an appeal will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (15 Oct 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 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 Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (15 Oct 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 4th 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: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Expenditure (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €48.8m for the scheme in 2013 assisting some 180,000 families. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department has a variety of monitoring and control measures in place to protect the intern and to ensure the integrity of the JobBridge scheme. An application from a host organisation must meet a number of criteria before advertisement on the JobBridge website. The internship must not displace an existing position and the host organisation must confirm that it will provide appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is consolidating and improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants who wish to pursue a career in child care. For CE participants who work directly with children, a dedicated programme comprising formal learning and supervised work experience will become a mandatory part of participation. This formal learning...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants who wish to pursue a career in child care) This involves defined standards of achievement, a career progression path, and a structure for CE participants in Early Years Services. These changes are designed to provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 18th September 2013. The application was disallowed as it was considered that the child does not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 7th October 2013 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds the applicant may...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Seirbhísí Leasa Pobail (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: Tá seirbhís leasa pobail Chonamara ar fáil anois ó oifigí na Roinne i gcathair na Gaillimhe agus sa Chlochán. Tá baill foirne sna hoifigí sin atá in ann seirbhís Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil agus beidh sé sin amhlaidh feasta. Féadann custaiméirí dul i dteagmháil leis an tseirbhís ar an bhfón, i r-phoist,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (15 Oct 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is currently examining the operation of all its services, including the community welfare service (CWS) in the context of the Pathways to Work commitments and the development of Intreo services nationally. The Pathways to Work Programme represents a significant reform in the social welfare system and highlighted the need for the Department to focus its resources on the...