Results 19,541-19,560 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (22 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 5th March 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 case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (22 May 2013)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal from the person concerned having been received by that office. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Relief Application (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The calculation of the mortgage interest supplement for the person concerned is based on a mortgage interest payment of €443.50 per month which equates to €102.35 per week. As the minimum contribution for a couple claiming mortgage interest supplement is €35 per week, the maximum payable in this case is €67.35 per week which equates to €291.90 per month.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Analysis of replacement rate values, which compare net in-work and welfare incomes, demonstrates that for the great majority of unemployed people securing employment will result in higher levels of income. The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative employment. It is a fundamental...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The social security rights of people moving within the EU are coordinated under EU Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. While the general conditions for qualifying for benefits and the design and financing of schemes remain a matter for the individual Member States, the EU Regulations determine, amongst other things, where a person is to be insured and what benefits must be exported outside...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Act Employment Targets (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Public service bodies are subject to specific legal obligations set out in the Disability Act 2005. Under the Act, public sector bodies are obliged to meet a target of ensuring that 3% of their employees are people with disabilities. Compliance with this target is monitored by the National Disability Authority. The total number of employees in the Department at the end of December 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (22 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 25th March 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 case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The purpose of rent supplement 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. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Expenditure (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The family income supplement (FIS) payment is designed to provide income for employees on low earnings with families. Expenditure on FIS for 2012 was of the order of €224 million in respect of some 32,000 families. The estimated expenditure for 2013 is expected to be €229 million in 2013. The FIS payment preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered on 25th March 2013. The appeal was referred to an Appeals Officer on 26th April 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: My Department is currently preparing amending legislation to update the Civil Registration Act, 2004. The existing legislation covers the registration of deaths in the State. Usually when a person dies abroad the death is registered by the authorities in that country and a certified copy of the death registration is obtainable from that country. In general, only deaths which occur...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (22 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 11th April 2013 at which point the person concerned was asked to outline the specific grounds of appeal. This information has now been provided to the Appeals Office. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: A Public Service Card (PSC) is currently issued following a registration process which involves the capture of an individual's photograph and signature and the verification of identity data already held by the Department. The registration process is being offered on a nationwide basis and is now live in over 51 departmental offices, including dedicated multi SAFE (Standard Authentication...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (22 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 13 September 2012. The claim was sent to a social welfare investigator for an assessment of the person’s means and when the investigator’s report is received a decision will be made on the claim and the person will be notified in writing of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Expenditure (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme. The numbers availing of BTEA and the associated cost of the scheme has risen dramatically in recent years. Numbers for the current 2012/13 academic year are 25,886 which represents a 191% increase on the 2007/08 numbers. As the Deputy will appreciate, managing expenditure demands for 2013 and beyond...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 427 together. Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. Medical assessments and medical reviews of eligibility for social welfare schemes are undertaken by fully qualified medical practitioners who have experience and specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 11th March 2013 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was notified in October 2012 that his entitlement to rent supplement would cease on 31 January 2013 because the rent being paid exceeded the maximum rent for which a supplement is payable. The person concerned notified the Department that they had submitted an appeal in relation to the decision to suspend the rent supplement claim. However, the Social Welfare Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This will begin in 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) thereby standardising State pension age for all to 66 years. The State pension age will be further increased to 67 years in 2021 and to 68 years...