Results 21,021-21,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 47,100 tenants for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. Rent supplement customer numbers have declined by some 23,700 during the two years commencing January, 2015 (70,800) and ending January, 2017 (47,100) representing a 33%...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme (14 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. A robust external evaluation of the scheme recommended that it should be replaced with a new work experience programme that is better suited to the much-improved labour market and addresses some criticisms of the current scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to remember that the planned restructuring of services is at local company board level only. The implementation of restructured governance arrangements, on completion of this process, will not result in any diminution of locally-provided services, nor in the closure of any service delivery locations, nor result in any staff redundancies. As the Deputy is aware, the plan to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for maternity benefit by the person concerned was refused on the grounds that she was not in insurable employment at the time of her application. In order to qualify for payment of maternity benefit, in addition to meeting the PRSI contribution condition for the tax year relevant to the claim the person concerned must also be in insurable employment that is covered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is a condition for receipt of carer’s allowance (CA) that the carer must be providing full-time care and attention to a person requiring that level of care. CA claims are reviewed periodically to ensure continued entitlement. CA was in payment to the person concerned from 22 January 2015 and a review was carried out in 2016. As part of that review the matter was referred to a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The youth unemployment statistics quoted for the Limerick electoral divisions relate to 2011, and are drawn from the Census carried out in that year. Strictly comparable data will be available only when the full small-area results of Census 2016 are published. However, an indication of trends in youth unemployment in Limerick since 2011 is available from the Live Register. The number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Gateway is a work placement scheme designed to provide short-term work opportunities for unemployed people in Local Authorities. The scheme commenced in December 2013. To be eligible to participate on Gateway, a person must have been continuously unemployed for at least 24 months and receiving a jobseeker's allowance payment. Participants benefit by improving their work readiness and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (14 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am informed that at the end of January there were 9,835 persons in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit in the Dublin area. A breakdown of this number by office is given in the following tabular statement. It should be noted that the number of people in receipt of a jobseeker’s benefit payment payment at the offices below is calculated based on the offices’ catchment areas, some of...

Confidence in Government: Motion (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I support this motion of confidence in the Government. In the limited time available to me I want to speak about the controversy in relation to the Garda whistleblowers because that is the issue that has given rise to this motion and it is the most important matter before us. Party political point scoring is not what the people listening in at home want to hear about. Almost three years...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the jobseeker’s allowance appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers were received by that office on 8 February 2017. This appeal, together with the supplementary welfare allowance appeal of the person concerned were referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department introduced a new Community Employment (CE) Childcare Strand in 2013 under which there is a dedicated childcare programme leading to a QQI Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education for CE participants who work directly with children. Under the new programme guidelines, CE participants in childcare places may receive up to 3 years continuous duration on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: One of the initiatives announced as part of the Creative Ireland Programmewhich was launched by the Taoiseach in December was that the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in conjunction with my Department would devise a mechanism during 2017 to assist self-employed artists who have applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance. I have been in contact with my...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) Applications (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for a State pension (non-contributory) was received from the person concerned on 7September 2016. A standard information request was sent to the person concerned on 22 September 2016. The applicant requested an extension of time to gather and return the requested information, through their local Social Welfare Local Office on the 26 September. To date, the requested...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Travel (15 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have made six trips outside the State since taking up office in May 2016. The details requested by the Deputy in relation to these trips are set out in the following table. In some instances, the figures relating to the costs incurred may not be final, as claims for these trips have still to be submitted by all of those who travelled or may not have not been fully processed. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Relocation (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 to 156, inclusive, together. The temporary clerical officers in the Department’s offices in Carrick-on-Shannon mentioned by the Deputy were recruited to facilitate specific project work on a temporary basis and therefore the question of filling these posts by way of transfer of permanent staff does not arise. The Department facilitates...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 10 August 2015. As a result of an appeals officer’s decision, the application was awarded to the person concerned on 15 February 2017 and the first payment will issue to her nominated post office on 23 February2017. Arrears for the period 13 August 2015 to 22 February 2017 will issue shortly. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 47,100 tenants for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 and the Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: While TÚS and CE schemes are intended to help long-term unemployed people re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through placement on a work experience or training programme for a limited duration; they are not full-time sustainable jobs. The person concerned has completed a TÚS placement and is now with the JobPath service, which is providing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance (CA) was awarded to the person concerned from 5 August 1999 to provide full-time care and attention to her parents. She was awarded a reduced rate due to her husband’s earnings from employment. When her late father died in October 1999, her CA should have ceased as her means were in excess of the statutory limit for a person caring for one care recipient. Due...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsIreland Service (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Intreo Centre in Dún Laoghaire assists jobseekers in their search for employment by providing a range of activation supports that can be accessed with the support and assistance of case officers. The JobsIreland website is currently being re-developed and will enhance online job searching and matching. Once the re-development has been completed appropriate computer supports will be...