Results 18,881-18,900 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: In the three years after the bank guarantee, the country lost 250,000 jobs. The connection between this and Deputy Mary Lou McDonald's question is that many of the families in question are now struggling to meet their mortgage payments. What have we done as a Government?

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: We have set up a procedure to find a resolution between the borrower and the lender.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I am concerned that the Deputy is attempting to unduly distress families who are already worried enough and want a solution to the difficulties which have been ongoing for four years or more in many cases. If he is seeking to help families in distress, he should have the courtesy to speak about facts and what the code of conduct provides for. It provides for a structured system over this...

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: When the Deputy's party was in government, its solution was simply to kick the can down the road. Kicking the can is understandable in the early stages of a crisis-----

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: -----but it is not sustainable if the families are so indebted that they cannot sustain where they are living. The code of conduct, the Insolvency Service of Ireland and the mortgage advice and information telephone line-----

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: -----provide a series of mechanisms to help people in terrible distress about their debts to find a solution. Deputy Billy Kelleher suggests the Central Bank should not engage in such a process. Fianna Fáil's way with the banks is, basically, any old way.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: This process will help the country by helping distressed borrowers and families to keep a roof over their heads.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: What does that involve?

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: For a small number of families, it may involve the resolution offered by the Insolvency Service of Ireland. I suggest to the people who may be alarmed by what Deputy Billy Kelleher has said this morning that they contact the mortgage and arrears advice telephone service run by the Department. We also provide an independent accounting advice service for families who are approaching the stage...

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: As we listen to the Anglo Irish Bank tapes, they sound more and more like the vampire tapes. I am not going to go into all of the history of the Deputy's party, but the issue is that those people sucked the lifeblood out of the country, and those in the Deputy's party had a large element of responsibility for that.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: They could come in and tell us exactly what they knew and when they knew it, but let us move on to the code of conduct on mortgage arrears. It is important to remember first the steps the Government has taken since coming to office to address the situation. It started off in a situation in which we had an extended period of forbearance, and that has been extremely important in keeping roofs...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Child Benefit is in payment to the person concerned. The case currently being reviewed. When the review is completed the person concerned will be notified of outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Rates (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not available at present. When the information becomes available, my Department will furnish it to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Over the last number of years a number of changes have been made to CE to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the programme. The overall number of places available under CE has been increased by 2,000 to 25,300 (including supervisors) in 2013 with a budget of circa €353m. The composition of participant numbers has changed in recent years with a decline in One Parent Family...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I proposed to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together. The shorter working year scheme is a centrally agreed scheme where staff can avail of various periods of unpaid leave. The operation of the scheme represents a saving to the Department as those availing of the shorter working year leave are on unpaid leave. In addition, this provides opportunities for the unemployed as the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Training (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. The Department is committed under its Learning and Development Strategy to provide opportunities for the education of its staff. The Department recognises that investing in learning leads to improved performance and productivity, increased employee engagement and better customer service. In addition to the provision of in-house and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16 May 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 received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: There does not appear to be any third party documentation, other than the documentation submitted by the applicant or by the office of the deputy on his behalf, received by the Department in respect of the carer’s allowance application from the person concerned. It is open to the person in question to make a request under the FOI Act for all documentation and records held by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (27 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on 13 December 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on 22 February 2013 advising of the decision. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Creation Issues (27 Jun 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 to deliver employment services. The potential contribution of contracting and the design of a contracting approach has since been considered by the Department working with an Interdepartmental group, comprising...