Results 20,801-20,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The free travel scheme provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators who operate mainly in rural areas. There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (24 Jan 2017)

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. These include programmes such as Community Employment (CE), Tús and Gateway. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is committed to encouraging self-employment and entrepreneurship. This includes enhancing the position of the self-employed through a supportive tax regime, improving the level of PRSI based benefits available to self-employed workers and providing a better safety net for low income self-employed farmers. As part of the Government’s commitment to rural Ireland, I am...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The risk of fuel poverty is influenced by a combination of fuel prices, weather, income and the heat efficiency of housing. My Department will continue to ensure that those on low incomes and those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty are supported through the fuel allowance and the household benefits package. The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department was careful in designing the JobPath service to ensure that payments to contractors are conditional on people not just finding a job but staying in the job and that the job is a full-time job. Contractors are paid quarterly in arrears for each 13 week period of sustained employment of at least 30 hours per week and will only get full payments if the jobseeker stays in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1980 for certain welfare schemes and was extended to long-term jobseekers in 1985. Payment of the bonus was abolished in 2009. It was re-instated at a rate of 25% by the previous Government in 2014 and was increased to 75% in 2015. I was pleased to be able to increase the rate of Bonus payable to 85% last December. This payment recognises the needs...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 76 together. While it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to an individual pension scheme, the Deputy will be aware that the number of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in Ireland has dropped significantly in the last two decades. During the financial crisis the decline of defined benefit pension schemes accelerated....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are a number of ways to qualify for a State pension the rate of payment under the State pension (contributory) scheme is related to contributions paid over the years into the Social Insurance Fund, and credited contributions where applicable. As such, those with a stronger attachment to the workforce, who have paid more into that fund, are more likely to be paid at a higher rate under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the take-home pay of families on low incomes. One such commitment is the proposed “Working Family Payment” targeted at low-income families. My Department’s approach to developing the Working Family Payment will be guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays and that no...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 83 together. The Department’s Customer Charter and Action Plan 2016-2018 sets out the level of service customers can expect when dealing with the Department, including a commitment to providing clear, accurate and comprehensive information. Whilst the Department does not gather information on the amount of unclaimed social welfare entitlements,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies, such as JobPath, Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Club providers. With JobPath the department has procured additional resources to enable it to provide a high quality case managed employment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The free travel scheme provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 873,000 customers with direct...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In Ireland, as in many other countries, the employment rate for people with disabilities is considerably lower than those without disabilities. The reasons for this are diverse and demand a wide-ranging response. The Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities sets the overall direction of the government’s response to this problem and seeks to reduce barriers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to carers who are providing full-time care and attention to someone who has a disability such that they require that level of care. As well as providing full-time care and attention, applicants must satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State. In November 2016, the latest month for which figures are available, 3,362...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department will develop, publish and commence the implementation of an Action Plan for the reform of pensions this year. This Action Plan will include a road map for the reform of the State pension, rationalisation and reform of the Defined Benefit pension landscape, transposition of the IORP2 directive and the introduction of auto-enrolment Defined Contribution pensions for all working...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. The objective of BTEA is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a range of social welfare payments, including those on a long-term jobseeker’s payment. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment – including long-term unemployment – is twofold. The Action Plan for Jobs support continuing strong economic recovery and employment growth. Policies and actions to ensure that unemployed people benefit from the increase in employment are set out in the strategy paper Pathways to Work 2016-2020. To date, these...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Administration (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2017 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of almost €83 million on the farm assist scheme. I am very pleased that, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A new Programme Framework for Community Employment (CE) drug rehabilitation schemes was introduced in January 2016. Before finalising the Framework, there was an important consultation process both within my Department and with the community and voluntary sector and the HSE. One of the main issues discussed in detail during this consultation was that addiction is a complex,...