Results 20,961-20,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tús Programme (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Tús was set up to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. It is designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the labour market. In addition, as a community work placement scheme, Tús provides valuable services to local communities. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobBridge Programme (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse of our economy and particularly the sharp and dramatic increase in unemployment. Its main aim was to help unemployed jobseekers to break the vicious cycle of ‘no experience no job, but no job no experience’. Since then over 19,000 Host Organisations have offered work placement opportunities to over...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Budget Facility (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Deductions from social welfare payments through the Household Budgeting facility are only available to customers who receive their payments at An Post. Where Household Budgeting is not an option, alternative arrangements should be made between the tenant and the housing body regarding the collection of rent. My Department is committed to ensuring customer choice in social welfare payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 4 February 2016. As a result of an appeals officer’s decision the application was awarded to the person concerned on 3 February 2017, with effect from 9 June 2016, and the first payment will issue to her nominated post office on 9 February 2017. Arrears for the period 9 June 2016 to 8 February 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (7 Feb 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. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision made on their entitlement to CA, they can appeal that decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. In recent years, the increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Please see table below outlining the requested information from January 2016 to December 2016, the latest month for which figures are available. The average processing time is currently 11 weeks. Month Awarded Disallowed Total Jan 2016 1,023 802 1,825 Feb 2016 1,325 813 2,138 Mar 2016 1,087 712 1,799 Apr 2016 1,190 800 1,990 May 2016 1,405 878 2,283 Jun 2016 1,608 1,021 2,629 Jul...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 27th January 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on farm assist are made by statutorily appointed deciding officers. The rules of natural justice and fair procedures are applied by deciding officers when making decisions that could have an adverse effect on the person concerned. When a person makes a claim for farm assist or where their claim is reviewed they are notified in writing of the decision and of their right to seek a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for a jobseeker’s allowance from the person concerned was disallowed as his means could not be determined due to outstanding documentation. The person concerned appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. As part of the process the application was reviewed within the Intreo Centre and the original decision was upheld. The application papers and report...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include JobPath and employment programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús schemes. The JobPath service aims to place people into full-time sustainable employment. The period of engagement with JobPath for any...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 24thJanuary 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The objective of the back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The BTEA, which is designed to support second chance education, enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A new application for a Community Employment (CE) Drug Rehabilitation Scheme was received from the Kilkenny Amárach Nua CE Training Scheme Company Ltd. in November 2016. This application is currently under consideration and has not yet been approved by my Department therefore I cannot confirm any details. All CE Special Drugs Schemes have to comply with the CE Drug Programme Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobBridge Scheme (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse of our economy and particularly the sharp and dramatic increase in unemployment. Its main aim was to help unemployed jobseekers to break the vicious cycle of ‘no experience no job, but no job no experience’. Since then over 19,000 Host Organisations have offered work placement opportunities to over...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23rdJanuary 2017. 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: Carer's Benefit Applications (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 5 August 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. The SWI attempted to arrange a meeting with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The programme assists participants to enhance and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility (8 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The One-Parent Family Payment is a means-tested payment which is made to men or women who are caring for a child or children without the support of a partner. This scheme was introduced on 2 January 1997, and replaced the Lone Parent’s Allowance and the Deserted Wife's Benefit. The One-Parent Family Payment has never been split between parents – it has always been paid to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (8 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the can make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Where the need is of a recurring nature, a weekly or monthly supplement under the SWA scheme may be awarded. The Government has provided some...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (8 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. There are no vacancies on the boards of the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council or the Social Welfare Tribunal. There is currently one vacancy on the...