Results 20,841-20,860 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of programmes, including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), to cater for those most distant from the labour market. These programmes aim to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities while at the same time delivering a...

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

Leo Varadkar: I would like to acknowledge the key role that carers have in our society. The importance of their contribution is reflected in the range of significant supports provided by my Department to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring – indeed it is worth pointing out that the income supports that carers receive from my Department are among the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 passed all stages in both Houses of the Oireachtas and was enacted in December 2014. The Act provides for a wide range of matters relating to the registration of life events in the State. Certain provisions, such as those relating to marriages of convenience, were commenced in August of 2015 but it has not been possible to commence all sections...

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

Leo Varadkar: Penalty rates only apply to clients who are selected for the Activation process and fail to engage. One Parent Family Payment clients are not selected for Activation and therefore, no sanctions can be imposed on their payments. The Jobseeker’s Transitional payment is a special arrangement under the scheme which aims to support lone parents into the workforce while they have young...

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 302 together. As the Deputies are aware, the rural social scheme (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. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and...

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

Leo Varadkar: There is one Secretary General employed in my Department. Her annual salary at 1 January 2017 was €176,350. Under the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 (FEMPI Act 2015), for those on salaries in excess of €110,000 the salary reductions imposed under the FEMPI Act 2013 will be restored in three equal phases on 1 April 2017, 1 April...

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

Leo Varadkar: There are ten Assistant Secretaries General employed in my Department. The annual cost for each Assistant Secretary General at 1 January 2017 is as follows: €119, 572 (x 2 Assistant Secretaries), €124,917 (x 2), €130,706, €136,496 (x 4) and €143,535. Under the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 (FEMPI Act 2015),...

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

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 307 together. Under the European Commission’s call for proposals for preparatory actions under the 'Youth Guarantee', the Department of Social Protection obtained EU funding to pilot a Youth Guarantee Scheme in Ballymun. This was a once-off call for pilot projects. The purpose of the Ballymun Youth Guarantee (BYG) pilot project was to test key...

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...

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

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. The first referrals from the Coolock Intreo Centre were made in February 2016, and to date almost 700 clients...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The implementation of a youth guarantee in the context of the Pathways to Work strategy was to ensure that young people were supported and positioned to benefit from the recovery in employment. This focused on engaging with, and supporting, long term unemployed and young jobseekers on the Live Register on a pathway into employment. The Pathways to Work action plan includes an action related...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20 October 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The Department received an application for IP from the lady referred to on 08 December 2016. Her application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not...

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

Leo Varadkar: My Department measures the performance of each scheme area on a monthly basis. Backlogs in each area can be measured by the number of claims pending a decision at the end of each month. Figures for 2016 are currently being finalised by my officials, and I will supply the requested data directly to the Deputy as soon as this process is completed.

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311, 315 and 320 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to reduce youth unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and the availability of productive employment for young people. This strategy has been succeeding; by Q1 2016 the number of people in employment is up by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (24 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The official measure of unemployment is sourced from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). Measures of unemployment from the QNHS are based on International Labour Office (ILO) definitions. To be ‘ILO unemployed’ a person must in the week before the survey be without work but available for work and have recently taken specific job-search steps. The Live Register,...

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

Leo Varadkar: The State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working...

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 316 and 317 together. The following tables provide the details which have been requested by the Deputy in respect of 2015 and 2016. The schemes with the highest number of appeals to the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2015 and 2016 were - disability allowance (6,435 in 2015/4,912 in 2016), carer’s allowance (3,188 in 2015/3,887 in 2016),...