Results 18,681-18,700 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The aim of JobBridge is to assist individuals to bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. JobBridge has made very significant progress since it came into operation in July 2011. As of 27 June 2013, 18,587 internship placements had commenced, with 5,934 participants in active internships and 1,936 internship posts advertised and available on the JobBridge website. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Rates (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 96 together. Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty. The estimated expenditure on child benefit in 2013 is around €1.9 billion and it is currently paid to around 613,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children. The Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: No application for rent supplement has been received in respect of the person concerned. All claims are assessed on a case by case basis. The Department will be in a position to assess whether the client has an entitlement to a higher rent limit when an application has been received regarding same. An application can be sent to the Wicklow Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Cost (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The following table outlines the numbers of cases referred to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO) for consideration of criminal prosecution under social welfare legislation for the years 2008 to 2012. It also outlines the numbers referred to An Garda Siochána for consideration of prosecution under criminal justice legislation. Cases referred for Legal Proceedings 2008...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: No application for rent supplement for new accommodation has been received in my Department from the person concerned. Any new application would have to be considered in the context of the person’s ability to meet the qualifying conditions for rent supplement and the revised maximum rent limits which came into effect on 17 June 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unfair Dismissals (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2007 a person may take a case to the Rights Commissioner Service or to the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) if they feel they have been unfairly dismissed from employment. Where the case is upheld an award may be made against the employer in accordance with the penalties set out in that legislation. The unfair dismissals legislation falls under the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The sustainability of State pension into the future is vital given the changing demographics, the increased numbers of those over 65 and increased longevity and reduced dependency ratio. Sustainable public finances are a prerequisite for future economic stability and growth, as well as being a prerequisite for maintaining and developing our social protection system. The Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Government have not made any decisions in relation to measures to be introduced in Budget 2014. The Government will finalise its consideration of the Budget in the coming months having regard to all of its commitments, including the commitment in the Programme for Government to maintain core welfare rates. The outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day. Youth unemployment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 74 and 107 together. The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker’s allowance. It was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. Farm assist recipients retain all the advantages of the jobseeker’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: As part of the European Council agreement on the 2014 – 2020 EU Budget in February, it was decided, in association with the agreement on the Youth Guarantee, to provide €6 billion for a new Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) for regions with particularly high levels of youth unemployment. This funding will consist of €3 billion from the European Social Fund and an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the acquisition of all accommodation requirements for the Department. The Department has identified the need for a new office to serve the Lucan/Adamstown area and the Office of Public Works is committed to providing a new Intreo Office in this area during 2014. Given the time required to secure new leases...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Funding Standard, which monitors the funding level of defined benefit pension schemes, was re-introduced in June 2012 and pension schemes were required to submit funding proposals to the Pensions Board by end June 2013. The Funding Standard had been in abeyance following the financial downturn in 2008, until June 2012. Many administrative and legislative measures were introduced during...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Reform (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The key principles underpinning the design of the Department’s application forms are the use of clear and simple language, with consistent layout and presentation across both online and paper forms. All primary application forms are designed to facilitate the use of scanning and automated processing. This ensures that the application is processed as efficiently as possible and that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Estimates for the Department of Social Protection as published in the 2013 Revised Estimates (REV) provides for expenditure of €20.243 billion on schemes, services and administration in 2013. The Estimates are based, in the main, on an analysis of trends as regards likely numbers of recipients and average value of payments in 2013. Actual trends on individual schemes are being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Office of Public Works is responsible for the provision of the Department's property requirements, including refurbishment and fit out works.The Intreo roll-out for upgrading accommodation operates on a rolling programme and is heavily weighted towards a significant number of offices completed by the end 2013 and the remainder throughout 2014. Preparations are underway in Ballyfermot and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is collated by the Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report which is laid before the Dáil when published and copies lodged in the Oireachtas library. Furthermore these reports are available to the public at www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Annual-Statistical-Information-Repor ts.aspx. I enclose for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 100 and 108 together. There are currently 83,210 people who receive the one-parent family payment (OFP). The cost of the OFP scheme was €1.06 billion in 2012 and is estimated to be €935 million in 2013. In 2013, on foot of the OFP reforms which came into effect on 4 July, it is expected that up to 9,300 recipients will leave the OFP scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: While the Recommendation for an EU-wide Youth Guarantee Scheme was adopted during the Irish Presidency, the implementation of the scheme across the EU has yet to begin. It is recognised, both in the Youth Guarantee Recommendation itself and more generally, that the pace of implementation must take account of the scale of the youth unemployment and inactivity challenge and consider the fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Under family law provisions, it is possible to apply to the court for an Attachment of Earnings Order. An Attachment of Earnings Order can be sought if the person is in employment, on social welfare or in receipt of a private pension, resulting in the maintenance being deducted at source. Under the Family Law Act 1995, it is possible to apply for this attachment at the initial maintenance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Creation Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Pathways to Work initiative launched last year signalled the potential of contracting with third party providers to complement the existing capacity of the Department of Social Protection and the Local Employment Services to deliver employment services. The potential contribution of such contracting and the design of a contracting approach has since been considered by the Department...