Results 18,441-18,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Garda Vetting of Personnel (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: At present over 1,200 applications to the Central Garda Vetting Unit from Community Employment (CE) are awaiting approval. It is worth noting that there has been an increase of 43% in the volume of CE applications for Garda Vetting this year. The Department of Justice estimates that the current average processing time for applications is approximately 12 to 14 weeks from the date of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing,has decided to allow the appeal of the person. 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: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 84,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The control process is an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the Department and all staff involved in the administration of the various social welfare schemes are acutely aware of the need to implement appropriate controls at every stage of the process. There are some 640 staff dedicated to control activities. This includes approximately 400 Social Welfare and Special...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Garda Vetting of Personnel (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Authorised staff from the Department of Social Protection are in touch with the Garda Central Vetting Unit on a regular basis. At present over 1,200 applications to the Central Garda Vetting Unit from Community Employment (CE) are awaiting approval. It is however worth noting that there has been an increase of 43% in the volume of CE applications for Garda Vetting this year. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies Pension Provisions (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Pensions Board, the Citizens Information Board and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman come under the aegis of my Department. All schemes are unfunded. Details in relation to salary contributions are set out in the tabular statement below: PENSIONS BOARD PENSIONS SCHEME EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION ( All employer contributions are remitted to Department of Social Protection) EMPLOYEE...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Expenditure (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: On taking office, this Government reformed the transport arrangement for Ministers which has radically reduced the cost of travel. The Government decision involved confining the use of State cars from 1 May 2011 to the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence. As a result, the average cost of providing transport has been reduced by 65% - from an average cost...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The process of submitting a funding proposal requires that trustees arrange for an actuary to carry out a valuation of the DB pension scheme's liabilities and assets at regular intervals and submit an actuarial valuation certificate to the Pensions Board outlining the funding position of the scheme. The date of each scheme valuation must be not later than 3 years after the last date of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Remit (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes and people living on social welfare payments. The Central Bank of Ireland recently announced its intention to operate a pilot scheme to a sample of borrowers (approx....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Legislative Process (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Three Bills were initiated and finalised by the Minister for Social Protection during 2012 - the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012, the Social Welfare Bill 2012 and the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012. No committee or report stage amendments were proposed by the Minister for Social Protection to any of these Bills in Seanad Éireann. Nor were any committee or report stage...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The social welfare system is primarily a contingency-based system, with entitlement based on contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood. There are two underpinning principles of the Irish social insurance system; firstly the contributory principle whereby there is a direct link between contributions paid and entitlement to a varying range of benefits and pensions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person. 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: Ministerial Staff (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Details of staffing levels and salary costs in respect of Ministers' private and constituency offices in my Department for the period 2009 to date are set out below: There is no Minister of State attached to my Department. Salaries with effect from 1 July 2013 (Post Haddington Road Agreement) Minister Burton Constituency Office Grade ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exchequer Savings (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the savings to the Exchequer if all my special advisors salaries were capped at the first point on the Principal Office scales is set out in the tabular statement below: There is no Minister of State attached to my Department. Title Annual Salary Post Implementation  of the Haddington Road  Agreement Savings if the salary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Application Numbers (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The total number of recipients of a disability related payment, including carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit at the end of June 2013 was 290,149. A breakdown of this number by scheme is detailed in the attached tabular statement. Comparisons at a European level are difficult to present because social protection schemes are organised on a different basis in each EU country....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department collects a wide range of data in engaging with jobseekers, which is mainly used at present to establish entitlements and for monitoring fraud and abuse. This information can also be more systematically used as a basis for evaluating progression outcomes for the Department’s customers and schemes, which was the focus of the Harmon report referred to in the question. A...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 4th March 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 Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (18 Jul 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 the 9th July 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (18 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 08th January 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...