Results 20,361-20,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Two payments of financial assistance towards funeral expenses were awarded and paid on 3 and 13 October 2016 respectively, amounting to €2,500. A review of this case has been undertaken on foot of this PQ and a further, final payment of €500 was issued to the next of kin on 22 November 2016. This is the maximum amount payable in respect of funeral expenses. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person has been advised to apply for a guardianship payment for her sister. A revised decision has been made to increase her Jobseekers Allowance to the full adult rate and to include a child dependant allowance. In the interim, the Basic SWA payment will be immediately increased to €115.80 per week. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance. She was approved under the Part-time Education Option for a Healthcare Assistant course which included 200 hours of work experience which she completed from 05/10/16 to 15/11/16. Her JA payment was inadvertently suspended for that period, this decision has now been revised and arrears for the period will issue to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance payment since June 2012. She is currently in receipt of their full entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance for a family of 2 adults and 2 dependent children. Prior to October 2016, the person concerned was receiving payment for 3 dependent children. In October 2016, one dependent child turned 18 and would only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned had been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (JA) since 1 February 2016. On 29 September 2016, she was interviewed by a Social Welfare Inspector in the course of a review of her entitlement. It was established that her means from rental income and maintenance payments exceeded the appropriate JA rate and, therefore, her claim was disallowed. The person concerned has now...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Artists' Remuneration (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2016 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €2.8 billion. It is accepted that periods of unemployment are a normal feature of the acting and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The objective of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The BTEA scheme is aligned with the student support schemes under the Department of Education and Skills. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant payable by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance (CA) is in payment to the person concerned since 13 May 2010 in respect of one care recipient. I confirm that my Department received an application for CA from him on the 15 September 2016 in respect of a 2ndcare recipient resident at a different location from the first. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 12 November 2016 to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: 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 providing breakfasts and lunches. Of these, some 35,000 extra breakfasts will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Eligibility (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 338 together. The RSS provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen and women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Deputies on all sides of the House are fully aware of the positive benefits derived from schemes like the Rural Social Scheme. While...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 28 July 2016. The application was refused on the grounds that the person concerned was not providing full-time care and attention as required. She was notified on 10 October 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. The person concerned has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Data (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: 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 €30.3 million for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2016. SWA legislation also provides...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The number of staff from my Department currently seconded to other Departments or Agencies, including staff seconded to wholly funded state bodies delivering public services, each year from 2010 to date is outlined in the table: Year Number of Officers seconded to other Depts. or Agencies 2010 7 2011 13 2012 17 2013 17 2014 20 2015 21 2016 24

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of any staff in my Department having appealed against secondment in the years 2010 to 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are no staff from my Department currently seconded to firms in the private sector.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are no officers in my Department currently seconded from firms in the private sector.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Vacancies (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Jobsireland.ie is a free online jobs site that enables employers to post job opportunities and jobseekers to search and apply for these opportunities online. The new service has been available since 28th July 2016, replacing an older site that enabled jobseekers to search for job opportunities based on job type and location, but did not facilitate employers to search for suitable jobseekers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. This includes programmes such as Community Employment (CE). As the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Magdalen Laundries (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection processes an ex-gratia payment/administrative scheme, under the recommendations of the Magdalen Commission Report of Mr Justice John Quirke, on behalf of the Department of Justice and Equality. This scheme provides for payments equalling the maximum rate of State pension (contributory), currently set at €233.30 per week, to eligible customers aged...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (29 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment at the maximum statutory rate for an adult and two qualifying children. The person concerned submitted medical certs but is not entitled to an illness benefit payment as he does not satisfy the qualifying criteria in the governing contribution year. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.