Results 21,161-21,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Over €19 billion was spent by my Department on its various income supports and other programmes in 2016. The number of applications awaiting decision and the average time to award for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The main social welfare schemes offered by my Department for unemployed persons are the jobseeker’s allowance and benefit schemes. Both the jobseeker’s benefit and the jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide significant support to unemployed persons so that they can work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced jobseeker’s payment. In addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (21 Feb 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: EU Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection may receive funding from the European Commission through several different funding streams. These include the European Globalisation Fund (EGF), the European Social Fund (ESF)/Youth Employment Initiative, and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). These funds each operate on different timelines and have different rules and procedures. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department administers a scheme of grants for the development and promotion of information and welfare rights, and the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) received funding under this scheme in 2015 and 2016. The funding amounted to €255,600 in each of the years 2015 and 2016: Organisation 2015 - € 2016 - € INOU 255,600 255,600

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The student support grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills and administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) represents the primary support for persons pursuing education in Ireland. The Department of Social Protection does not offer specific supports for students pursuing third level qualifications outside of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). The Back...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (22 Feb 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. It is the role of the staff of these services to provide Jobseekers with a range of practical supports and assistance to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (22 Feb 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. This includes programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Rural Social Scheme (RSS). These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (22 Feb 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) and Rural Social Scheme (RSS). 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 27 January 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. Please do contact my office if you require any further assistance with this query. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Payment of jobseeker’s allowance was suspended after the person concerned declared means to an officer of the Department. According to the Department’s records the person concerned does not have a dependent child. As informed by letter on 9th February 2017 if the person concerned wishes to appeal this decision they may do so by contacting their Local Office before 2 March...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As per response to PQ 5148-17, an application for jobseeker’s benefit was submitted in the case of the person concerned. Specific documentation was requested from the person concerned in order to complete the application. This documentation is still outstanding and upon receipt, a decision will issue as soon as possible. If the person concerned is experiencing financial difficulties...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested regarding the age profile of free travel customers is as follows – Under 66 years 245,931 Over 66 years628,707 I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently 80 private operators participating in the free travel scheme and of this 60 are bus companies. The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. County Company Name Routes Cavan Sillan Tours Ltd. Cootehill- Shercock- Dublin (Daily except Saturday) Cork Barry's Coaches Ltd Cobh Town area...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Where the Integrated Ticketing System is enabled by transport operators and the customer is using the new Public Services Card Free Travel variant (rather than the paper free travel pass), it is possible to collect some data on usage. However, as the Integrated Ticketing System has limited roll-out across transport operators at present, the precise data requested by the Deputy is not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 874,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (22 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Section 10 of the Social Welfare Act 2016 provided for the exclusion of members of a local authority from the Class K PRSI charge. Previously, councillors paid PRSI at the Class K rate of 4% on their income as public office holders, provided that income exceeded €5,200 per annum. Payment of Class K by councillors was not reckonable towards establishing entitlement to social insurance...

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: On the first part of the question, we are developing proposals for working family payments and I hope to have them completed well in advance of the budget in order that they can inform the budget discussions. On the particular issue the Deputy mentioned, I understand that once somebody qualifies for family income supplement, he or she continues to have it paid for a year even if there is a...

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----in legal industrial action. However, I will follow up on the matter. I certainly do not believe it should not be paid.

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check the law on it first in order to determine the position.