Results 19,921-19,940 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: May I move on to the next question?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I will wait until he finishes. If he likes, I will sit down and let him rant about Fianna Fáil. Perhaps he wants to apologise. His apology is long overdue and I have not heard it from him yet. He should apologise to taxpayers and hard-working people.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: He is getting excited because the Ard-Fheis is near.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: Retained firefighters are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days they are engaged in firefighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. A working group has reported to me and I am pleased to inform the House that I have decided to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The practice regarding retained firefighters has its roots in an administrative decision in 1972 to disregard any day of firefighting or training when determining their entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit or allowance. There was the proximity rule for those living close to the fire station. When this matter was brought to my attention several months after I had taken office, I sought...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 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 Department provides money for clothing for adults and children in exceptional circumstances. The Government has provided...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: When the former staff of the HSE, the community welfare officers, came into the Department of Social Protection about a year and a half ago they made many comments on how they could spend scarce money to the best advantage of people in need, both individuals and families. They came up with this proposal and pointed out that in the north west - Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim - such payments were...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: -----that we had to find savings because we were relying on others.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: No.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Exceptional Needs Payments (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The fact is we have maintained spending on social welfare at €20.3 billion. We have done that in the face of the enormous difficulties in which the Fianna Fáil Party left the country.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 54 together. The number of people classified as underemployed rose significantly during the crisis, from 81,000 at the end of 2008 to 146,000 at the end of 2011 and remained unchanged through to the end of 2012. This type of increase is typically observed at the start of all downturns and is evidence that some employers put workers on part-time...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Remit (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: MABS, which comes within the remit of the Citizens Information Board, provides a high quality service which assists people who are over-indebted or in danger of over-indebtedness, in particular those on low incomes. In 2013 some €19 million has been allocated to fund MABS while the Citizens Information Board has a budget of some €47.4 million. The CIB and MABS National...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: As the Deputy will be aware, the ‘Pathways to Work’ policy commits to the provision of more regular and on-going engagement and greater targeting of activation places and job opportunities for those who are unemployed. It also aims to increase engagement and incentivise employers to provide more jobs for people who are unemployed. The unit includes staff dealing with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Administration (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 47 and 51 together. In this context, Appeals Officers are quasi-judicial officers and are required to be, and are, free and unrestricted in discharging their functions. The appeals system was reformed in 1990 to establish the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) as a separate executive office with its own premises and staff operating independently of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Numbers (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: There are currently 23 Medical Assessors employed in my Department, including the Chief Medical Adviser and the Deputy Chief Medical Adviser. All of the staff in question serve on a full-time basis. In addition, and in view of the critical control role that Medical Assessors play in assessing and reviewing illness related claims, sanction was also given to appoint additional Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Department of Social Protection is improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants on Community Employment overall. Supports for Childcare Providers are a matter for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and not this Department. Recent developments have focused on CE schemes involved in supporting community childcare services and on CE participants who...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average times taken to process appeals decided by summary decision is 27.1 weeks and 36.4 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. The average processing to process appeals in the years 2008 to 2012 is given in the attached table. These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 will provide for amendments to the social welfare code arising from Budget 2013 and from policy, administrative, operational and control matters. It will also make miscellaneous amendments to the Pensions Act 1990. I intend to publish the Bill in the second half of May.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: A jobseeker claim can be disallowed where the customer fails to meet the conditions of the scheme, including the requirement to be available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Reduced payment rates (penalty rates) for jobseekers were introduced in April 2011 as a means of achieving the engagement of jobseekers with activation measures, including the National Employment Action...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Care Services (24 Apr 2013)

Joan Burton: The Deputy will be aware that I believe the provision of adequate childcare is essential to support parents and especially those parenting alone to take up employment. Employment offers the best protection for those at risk of poverty and this is especially the case for families with children. The model of child care which is available in Scandanavia is a very comprehensive model although it...