Results 18,701-18,720 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that, with effect from 1 July 2013, community welfare services (CWS) for the Balbriggan area, which were previously administered from Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, have transferred to Balbriggan Social Welfare Local Office, Mill Street, Balbriggan. As a result, all CWS services for the Balbriggan area are now delivered locally. Local TDs and the Citizen...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Scheme Numbers (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: At June 2013 there were 895 participants on drug rehabilitation places on Community Employment. Seventy-four per cent (664) of these places were in the Dublin Region and a further 14 per cent (125) were located in Cork Central. Table 1 details drug rehabilitation places by region. There is no special allowance for participants on drug rehabilitation places however there are special...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned will be contacted by an officer from this Department in order to discuss her case.

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 106 together. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals. In order to manage this...

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

Joan Burton: The definition of unemployment used in the above-mentioned survey is self-defined unemployment as opposed to the stricter definition used by the ILO. This can mean that people who are not working but who are also unavailable for work such as students and carers may be classified as unemployed in such a survey. The methods used in the survey can also be questioned (e.g. door-to-door surveys...

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

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity. In order to ensure adequate controls of the scheme expenditure, the continuing eligibility of persons in receipt of IP is reviewed periodically in accordance with their assessed risk of a change in circumstances. During 2012, there...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: I take it that the Deputy is referring to Deputy Ó’Snodaigh’s Private Member’s Bill which was introduced in Dáil Eireann on 22 May 2013 but which has not yet progressed beyond First Stage. I am satisfied that any legislation providing for the recognition of the acquired gender of transgender persons will have to be more comprehensive and detailed than that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Scheme Numbers (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Government, as part of the Budget package for 2013, announced a number of initiatives focused on providing work opportunities for jobseekers, including the provision of 10,000 additional work placements across a number of schemes. The additional placements on community employment, Tús and JobBridge have already been rolled-out and are in the process of being filled by the sponsoring...

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

Joan Burton: The ruling by the European Court of Justice was in response to a reference by the High Court seeking clarification of the interpretation of European law emanating from EU Directive 2008/94EC on the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. Following the ECJ ruling, the matter will now revert to the High Court for consideration. Given this matter remains...

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 110 together. The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The term 'habitually resident' conveys a degree of permanence and implies a close association between the applicant and the country from which payment is...

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

Joan Burton: The Department is committed under its Learning and Development Strategy to provide opportunities for the education and development of its staff. The Department recognises that investment in learning leads to improved performance and productivity, increased employee engagement and better customer service. Business areas offer development opportunities to staff through internal training,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Payments (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The contribution that people provide in caring for members of their own family is critical for society. It was for that reason that the Government last year adopted the National Carers’ Strategy with a view to giving greater public recognition to carers and their work. Carers receive significant income supports from the Department of Social Protection so that people can continue...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Prices (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently no comprehensive up to date national statistics available on the number of people experiencing fuel poverty in Ireland. The EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions, which is carried out by the Central Statistics Office each year, does however, measure the percentage of the population that said they were unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, over the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department carried out and published a policy review and high level issues paper of all Employment Support Schemes including the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) earlier this year. The review was focused primarily on assessing the contribution certain programmes can make to the Department's activation policy stance. Consultation with stakeholders was identified as a key aspect of the...

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

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of rent allowance from February 2012 to January 2013 and continues to receive other social welfare payments at the same address. Currently my Department is not in receipt of a claim for a rent supplement from her; however she should call to her local welfare service as soon as possible to discuss her accommodation needs. The current rent limits for her...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Property Taxation Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: In the context of its role in processing and making income support and related payments, the Department makes 87 million payments per annum to over 2 million recipients in any year. Payments are based on a range of entitlement conditions and are aimed at serving various social welfare policy requirements. These payments are of various types: universal payments, means assessed payments,...

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

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements. The role and function of the office is to provide and deliver an independent, accessible and fair appeals service in a prompt and courteous manner. Appeals Officers are statutorily appointed by the Minister for Social Protection to act as administrative...

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

Joan Burton: In the year 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, 332 staff members in the Department retired from the Civil Service. In the year 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013 a further 83 staff members retired from the Department. In the year 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, 137 staff were transferred or redeployed into the Department from other government departments and public sector organisations. In the year 1 July...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the "safety net" within the overall welfare system. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance to persons in need who do not qualify for welfare payments under any other social welfare scheme. The Government has provided almost €720 million for the various schemes under SWA in 2013. There are a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Marriages of Convenience (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Marriages of convenience, or "sham marriages" are defined as marriages which are entered into for the purpose of one of the parties gaining an automatic right of residency based on marriage to a person who already has a right of residency. The matter is a complex one. EU citizens and their families have the right to move and reside freely within the territories of the Member States. These...