Results 19,361-19,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Appeals (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned recently applied for a review of a decision by a designated person to refuse an exceptional needs payment. The review officer was aware of the family composition of the person concerned at the time of the review. The person concerned previously appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office a decision of a designated person to refuse a diet supplement. The means...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: FÁS Local Training Initiatives Eligibility (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was interviewed by her local employment services on 23 April 2013 at which time all her training options were explored. As part of her career planning, it was agreed that she needed to improve her information technology skills before pursuing further training. To this end, she was given an application form for a technical employment support grant. However, the form has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned did not qualify for child benefit as under Social Welfare legislation she is not the qualified person for receipt of the payment. Section 159 (1) of S.I. 142/2007 provides that the person with whom a qualified child shall be regarded as normally residing shall be determined in accordance with specified Rules. Subject to Rule 2, a qualified child, who is resident with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: In the context of the forthcoming Budget, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (D/PER) has asked my Department to identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. The identification of savings options should ensure that a sufficient range of proposals are made by all Departments to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20 February 2013. 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 22...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Pension Benefit Schemes Issues (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 to 158, inclusive, together. The persistent funding difficulties of defined benefit schemes are well recognised. Employers, unions and trustees have been making strenuous efforts to protect the viability and many measures have been introduced to support these efforts. Between 1980 and 1999, the defined benefit pension environment was healthy with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (30 May 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 14th November 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 the 10th January 2013 advising of the decision. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative Inquiry (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I certainly will look further into the matter to ascertain whether there is any further information that may be of assistance to the Deputy and will raise it with the officials.

Other Questions: Employment Support Services (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 14 together. The Pathways to Work strategy represents the single biggest ever change to how the State engages with and provides services to people who are unemployed. It is delivering on the programme for Government commitment to set up a co-ordinated employment and entitlements service and involves a multi-annual programme of complex legislative,...

Other Questions: Employment Support Services (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Has the Deputy received his personal services card and photograph yet?

Other Questions: Employment Support Services (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: As I stated, 12 Intreo offices are now completely live and at least another four are pretty much converted. I personally have visited most of them. Another 63 offices are to be rolled out by the end of 2014. I must confess to Deputy O'Dea that I must rely on the good offices of the Office of Public Works, because it is acting as the Department's agents in this conversion and at times,...

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Intreo and the Pathways to Work scheme have now been rolled out completely in 12 offices and partially in a further four offices around the country. I invite Members, including committee members, to visit some of the new Intreo offices because they are such a change in how people experience a social welfare office. We are also taking people’s photographs when they sign on as...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative Inquiry (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was originally a participant on the job initiative, JI, scheme, which was then operated by FÁS. Her engagement on this scheme ceased in 2004. Recruitment of new participants or re-engagement of former participants to the JI scheme has been closed since November 2002 and, accordingly, it is not possible to reinstate her as a JI participant. In 2004 she was working...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative Inquiry (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I will inquire of the officials. As the Deputy appreciates, the case has a long history, going back to 2001 and 2004 when the Department of Social Protection was not involved in the area. As the Deputy said, the person concerned was originally a participant on a JI scheme. The scheme ceased in 2004 and the company closed. As the Deputy indicated, responsibility for the JI scheme...

Other Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Claims for illness benefit, formerly disability benefit, are submitted following the customer's consultation with his or her general practitioner, GP, or doctor. Departmental medical assessors are not involved in reviewing illness benefit claims at claim stage, as a claim has already been certified by the customer's doctor. Customers may subsequently ask to attend for medical assessment by...

Other Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I appreciate the Deputy's concern, but we do not assess a person's illness. That is the job of his or her doctor. When someone applies for illness benefit, he or she has received a doctor's certificate. It may be that a person has a number of conditions including physical and mental health elements, but it is whatever the doctor certifies as being the primary illness from which the person...

Other Questions: Illness Benefit Applications (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I will be helpful for the Deputy. Currently, 22 medical assessors, including the chief and deputy chief medical advisers, conduct medical assessments across a wide range of the Department's schemes, including illness benefit. Of these assessors, six have postgraduate qualifications in the mental health field, for example, the MRCPsych and the diploma in clinical psychiatry. They also have...

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Intreo is the new employment activation and supports service model that the Government promised to deliver in the programme for Government and under the Pathways to Work initiative. It integrates the employment services and community programmes formerly provided by FÁS, the community welfare services formerly provided by the HSE and the income support services provided by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The aim of JobBridge is to assist individuals to bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. The scheme has made very significant progress since it came into operation in July 2011, with 17,609 internship placements having commenced to date. There are currently 6,104 participants on the scheme and 2,218 vacancies available on the JobBridge website. The independent evaluation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (29 May 2013)

Joan Burton: As I travel throughout Ireland, I continually meet individuals, employers and organisations who attest to the fact that the intern scheme has been a positive experience for those on both sides. Those who employ people often inform me that they never previously appreciated the sheer calibre and quality of many individuals who, unfortunately, are currently without employment. JobBridge is...