Results 18,781-18,800 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

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

Joan Burton: The age profile of long-term live registrants is being constantly monitored. The broad age distribution (under and over 25 years) of the Register is published each month by the Central Statistics Office, and more detailed breakdowns are also published at regular intervals. Given the focus of Government policy on the activation of job-seeker claimants, the allocation of my...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (9 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, of which over 53,000 have been in receipt of the payment for...

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

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together. The number of cases referred to appeal in respect of each category of welfare payment from 2009 to 2013 (to date) are given in the table that follows this reply. It is noted that the areas experiencing most referrals to appeal are those areas experiencing the highest volumes of claim applications. There has been a rapid and sustained...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department has a continuous programme of process improvement initiatives underway aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology. The simplification and reduction of application forms complements the introduction of more streamlined processes. The key principles underpinning the design of the Department's application forms are the use of clear and...

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

Joan Burton: Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. It is the Department’s policy that every effort is made to prevent overpayments but, where they occur, they should be regarded as a debt to the Exchequer and every effort must be made to recover the amounts through all available means. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is continuing its commitment to getting people back to work as set out in the Programme for Government and the Pathways to Work documents. Following my announcement at budget time, the number of Community Employment and Tús programmes are being expanded in 2013 by 2,000 and 2,500 places respectively on a national basis. Applications from Schemes in Kildare for these...

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

Joan Burton: I am pleased to confirm that the backlog of claims awaiting action and decision, which stood at just over 7,000 in May 2012, has been cleared. As at the end of June 2013 there are 1973 Invalidity Pension (IP) claims registered, actioned and awaiting information to finalise a decision. This includes approximately 579 cases which are being investigated under EU regulations or bi-lateral...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The core eligibility criterion for CE is that the person is in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, as defined on the Department’s website. This requirement is based on Government policy and Departmental guidelines and has been the rule since CE commenced in 1994. At present persons signing for credits or otherwise ineligible for a social welfare payment, do not meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (4 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 10th June 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (4 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, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer's decision on 26th June 2013. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently no toilet facilities for staff or for members of the public on the ground floor in the Clondalkin Local Office. While many Local Offices do not have a public toilet, it is now included in the Office of Public Works (OPW) specification for all new offices. This issue will therefore be addressed in the plans for the new Intreo office for Clondalkin.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Applications for schemes such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and carers allowance are normally medically assessed at desk by one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who assesses the available medical evidence with reference to evidence based protocols and guidelines. The Medical Assessor then presents his/her medical opinion to a Deciding Officer, who makes a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Expenditure (4 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 living at...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Staff (4 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. In 2013, the Citizens Information Board has been allocated a budget of approximately €47.5 million of which some...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Staff (4 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. In 2013, the Citizens Information Board has been allocated a budget of approximately €47.5 million of which some...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 27th May 2013. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the person concerned. It can take up to 8 weeks to process an application for DCA, which is a non means...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person named above submitted an application for a Companion Free Travel Pass and her application was desk assessed by a Medical Assessor on 13 May 2013. A medical report was completed by the person's medical practitioner and this was scanned by the Department. A Medical Assessor viewed the medical report in line with evidence based protocols and Departmental guidelines in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: International Bodies Membership (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: Neither my Department, nor any State body or agency under its aegis, is responsible for, or co-responsible for, any international organisation, international agency or international body that Ireland is a member of.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a jobseeker's allowance payment.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Joan Burton: According to our records, no claim for rent allowance has been received from the person concerned. She should contact her local Community Welfare Officer if she wishes to make such a claim.