Results 20,221-20,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check that particular point as to whether a person in receipt of the non-contributory widow's pension does not receive the increase for a qualified child. It seems incorrect so I will check it.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Penrose might be right.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: That would seem anomalous. I will definitely have that checked out. Another entitlement that a widow, widower or surviving partner can receive is the fuel allowance, which is a payment of €22.50 for six months of the year. In terms of the household benefits package, it is probably a little more complicated. It would depend on age, means testing and so on. If we were to do something...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Clearly I am not in a position to make those changes now with the Estimates being done. However, I will take the suggestions the Deputy makes under consideration for inclusion in the next budget package.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that the Deputy is correct to say that after the period of recession and economic crisis, poverty and youth unemployment increased. They have also been falling in recent years as a consequence of the recovery. In fact, youth unemployment has pretty much halved in the last couple of years. I am sure it was an omission, but the Deputy did not quite acknowledge that. Over...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have always been a bit sceptical about that €200 per answer thing, but I take the Deputy's point. I wondered myself when I was appointed to this office why appeals were so successful. If appeals are successful 58% to 60% of the time, it indicates on first pass that something is wrong. However, it seems one of the major reasons there is such a high rate of success in appeals is...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have, yes.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have no plans at this stage to put it on a statutory footing. I am told that 35% of favourable appeal decisions result from revised decisions rather than having gone to an appeals officer. The figure of 58.8% is very misleading for that reason I have seen "I, Daniel Blake", which is a great movie and I recommend that people go and see it.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am thinking of putting on a screening for my senior officials. I might suggest that the movie comes from a particular perspective and that somebody could do a movie about some of our other customers which would be a very different story. I can guarantee it.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I could do a great movie about some of our customers. Certainly, our policy is to ensure that people get the benefits and assistance to which they are entitled. However, we do that in a context where a lot of people are trying to collect benefits and allowances to which they are not entitled.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It is relevant. The film is about social welfare. It is worth watching.

Other Questions: Registration of Births (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In July of this year, I introduced regulations which provided that no fee would be incurred where parents request a certificate in respect of a stillborn child. At the time, I told Deputy Griffin that I would examine the cost of certificates to parents registering the birth and death of a baby on the same day. I gave an undertaking in the House that I would at the earliest opportunity make...

Other Questions: Registration of Births (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Griffin for bringing this matter to my attention some months ago, on foot of which I abolished the fee to register a stillbirth. I will now abolish the fee to register the death of a child in the first year. I want to acknowledge in particular my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, for being so quick to approve and agree this change.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 58 together. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Over €19 billion will be spent by my Department on its various income supports and other programmes in 2016. Across the main...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Lower weekly rates for younger jobseekers were first introduced in the Supplementary Budget in 2009, and further extended in subsequent Budgets up to 2014. The rationale for these rates is to prevent young unemployed people from entering longer term welfare dependency by providing a strong financial incentive to take up a job, or a training or education programme. The CSO publishes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department values quality social policy research and the contribution it makes in assisting it in terms of informing policy across its broad remit. As the Deputy will be aware from the title of the report, the report does not claim to be an analysis of the lone parent reforms. It was my Department’s expectation that the report would provide detail on the design of specific...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 100 and 300 together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. As part of Budget 2017, I announced an additional €5.7 million for school meals which will benefit over 50,000 children. Additional...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Direct Provision Data (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Since its publication in June 2015, the Report of the Working Group on the Protection Process has been under proactive consideration; in the first instance by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and thereafter by the Department of Justice and Equality and other relevant Government Departments and Agencies, including my Department. The report contains 173...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The various illness and disability payments administered by my Department provide income support for people with a disability and their dependants. These support payments are continually kept under review to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. In addition to income support payments, my Department also provides a range of employment and employability supports. These are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Leave Scheme (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 84 together. The new paternity benefit scheme which was announced in Budget 2016 came into operation on 1 September 2016. The benefit is paid for up to two weeks to employed and self-employed people who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. The rate of payment is €230 per week, the same as maternity benefit, with possible increases...