Results 19,581-19,600 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Numbers (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is not collated by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 16th May 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 for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Numbers (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The total number of persons in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit at the end of April 2013 was 78,414; of this total, 13,402 had occupations in construction trade categories. A qualifying condition of the jobseeker’s benefit scheme is that all recipients must be genuinely seeking work in order to qualify for payment. The following table details the breakdown of this number by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 7th February 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 5th March 2012 advising of the decision not to allow the application. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Indecon International Economic Consultants were retained, following a tender process, by the Department of Social Protection in 2012 to undertake an evaluation of the JobBridge scheme. Indecon has not been retained for any other purpose. As the price submitted by Indecon was submitted as part of a competitive tender process and is considered commercially confidential, I will not disclose the...

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

Joan Burton: All medical assessments and medical reviews are undertaken by fully qualified medical practitioners who have experience and specialist training/qualifications in occupational medicine as well as in human disability evaluation. Desk assessments of eligibility are based on medical reports and other evidence furnished by the applicant and the applicant’s treating physician. The assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSFFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €48.8m for the scheme in 2013. The rates of BSCFA have increased significantly in recent years when viewed in the context of clothing and footwear price trends. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €47.6 million for the scheme in 2013. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment or no...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The person’s claim is with a social welfare investigator for a means test and a report on the person’s eligibility for disability allowance. I understand that the investigator will shortly be in contact with the person on the matter. When the investigator’s report is received by the deciding officer a decision will be made on the person’s claim and he will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (21 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 15th April 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 9th May...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a crèche supplement is available to assist with the cost of child-care where there is a proven and verified on-going need due to individual circumstances, usually where a child may be in difficult circumstances, and would benefit by attending a community crèche. A crèche supplement will only be considered where a Public Health...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Bodies Accounts (21 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Body Accounts more than 1 year Old Accounts more than 2 years Old Citizens Information Board Accounts for year ended 31/12/2011 laid in 2012 Pension Board Accounts for year...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of this decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (16 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 16 January 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 the 15...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Applications (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Eligibility to the treatment benefit scheme is based on the person concerned having paid the required number of pay related social insurance contributions (PRSI). Qualifying conditions vary depending on the person's age, someone aged under 21 years requires a minimum of 39 PRSI contributions paid at Class A, E, H, or P. According to the Department's records, the person concerned has not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers and works to ensure that claims and appeals are processed in the most efficient and expeditious way possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply to each scheme. There have been significant improvements in work practices across all schemes during the past year, specifically in the illness...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The Government has provided €47.6 million for the ENP scheme in 2013. For...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 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 15th March 2013. The person concerned was afforded an opportunity of setting out the complete and up to date grounds of their appeal. For this purpose, a form SWAO1 was issued to her on 15th March 2013. This form was returned to this office on the 8th May 2013 and in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The weekly rate of disability allowance payment depends on the amount of weekly means assessed. The legislative provisions regarding disability allowance state that means will be assessed from all income which the claimant or claimant's spouse may reasonably expect to receive during the year following the date of their claim with certain exceptions. Maintenance payments made to a former...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (16 May 2013)

Joan Burton: The Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service was established to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two elements involve the enhancement of the website www.keepingyourhome.ie and the establishment of a Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline...