Results 19,181-19,200 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (13 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 13th March 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 28th...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income 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 86,000 recipients of rent supplement for which the Government has provided over €403...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Retirements (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: This case concerns an appeal against an application for ill health retirement. Appeals against medical findings in relation to retirement on grounds of ill health are not provided for in the Superannuation Code and as such are not appropriate to the Pensions Ombudsman. Notwithstanding this, the person concerned wrote to the Pensions Ombudsman detailing their case in August 2012. In response...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Eligibility (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. There are approximately 13,000 mortgage interest supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €42 million for in 2013. The supplement assists with the interest portion...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The importance of child and family income supports is underlined by the fact that in 2013 my Department will spend almost €2.9 billion on supports to families and children through payments such as Child Benefit, the Family Income Supplement, qualified child increases on weekly social welfare payments, and the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. The National Action Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned has been disallowed Jobseeker’s Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). Both disallowances are currently under appeal with the Social Welfare Appeals Office. It is a requirement that every claimant shall furnish all information and documentation as may be required in order to complete a means assessment process, for the purpose of deciding a claim....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: An overpayment of jobseeker’s allowance was assessed against the person concerned for the period 10 April 2006 to 04 December 2006. The person concerned had engaged in an apprenticeship while also claiming a jobseeker’s allowance payment for this period and the change in circumstance was not notified to this Department. It is open to the person concerned to contact his local...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned claimed jobseeker's allowance from 27 May 2013. Further documentation was requested from the person on 6 June 2013 to enable a decision to be made on the claim. On receipt of the additional documentation, a decision will be made on the claim and the person concerned will be advised of the decision.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I can confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance from the person in question on the 30 November 2012. A deciding officer, based upon the evidence submitted, refused the application on both medical and habitual residency grounds. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision and the reasons for it on 12 June 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The child benefit claim of the person concerned was disallowed on 28 May 2013 as she was not then considered to satisfy the habitual residence condition. Her residency status remained undecided and she did not have the legal right to reside in the State. Her circumstances have since changed as she has now been granted permission to reside in the State by the Department of Justice and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: According to the information available to this Department the maximum rent supplement payable to the person concerned is €559.70 per month.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (13 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The aim of Community Employment (CE) remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. The core eligibility criterion for CE is that the person is in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment and is either long term unemployed or socially marginalised. At present, persons signing for credits or who are...

Topical Issue Debate: Pension Provisions (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I appreciate the comments of Deputy Penrose, who clearly has a wide knowledge of this area. I am aware how worrying this is for the type of people Deputy Penrose has referred to who are coming close to retirement. Many defined benefit pension schemes have been contributed to by employees and, it must be said, employers in good faith. It is unfortunate that what has happened on the...

Topical Issue Debate: Pension Provisions (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy Penrose for raising this extremely important issue. The Pensions Act sets out the order in which the assets of a pension scheme are distributed in the event of the wind-up of a pension scheme. The statutory order of priority is of no consequence, as the Deputy knows, where a scheme winds up with sufficient assets to meet all of its liabilities. In the event of the wind-up of...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I thank the Acting Chairman. Tackling the crisis in relation to young people being unemployed is an absolute priority for the Government, and we are driving the response both on a national and EU-wide level in the context of our Presidency. Research evidence shows that spells of unemployment while people are young, particularly for young men, can have a permanent scarring effect on their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Birth Certificates (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 106 together. In order to properly identify the parties to a marriage, the requirements under section 46(7) of the Civil Registration Act, 2004, include, inter alia, the authentication of birth certificates. This step is necessary to help ensure that the intended marriage is not for unlawful purposes. In this regard, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a jobseeker's allowance appeal, by the person concerned, together with the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal were received in that office on 04th June 2013. The case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (12 Jun 2013)

Joan Burton: Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. One of the contribution conditions for invalidity pension is that the claimant must have 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of claim. Only classes A, E or H contributions are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Appeals (12 Jun 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 proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case on 24th June 2013. The person concerned will be notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...