Results 21,221-21,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Living Wage (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has undertaken no costing of the initiative outlined by the Deputy as the introduction of any such scheme would necessarily have to take place on a cross Governmental basis and costs determined centrally as part of the estimates budgetary process. Pre-determined salary scales negotiated at central level are applied to all staff in the department. On a purely indicative...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An interdepartmental working group, comprising officials from the Department of Social Protection, Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners, has been examining the issue of disguised employment. To inform the work of the group, a public consultation on the use of intermediary-type structures and self-employment arrangements, was undertaken in 2016. The consultation received 23...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Leave (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Justice and Equality have responsibility for maternity leave which is provided for in the 1994 and 2004 Maternity Acts. Any decision to change the duration of maternity leave for families with multiple births would be the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. The Department of Social Protection has responsibility for the payment of maternity...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The funding or operating terms and conditions of community employment (CE) schemes have not been changed recently. However, with the ongoing welcome reductions in the Live Register and the increasing number of job opportunities, the Deputy will appreciate that issues such as the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and the criteria for participation on employment schemes,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table: Recipients of Jobseeker’s Allowance by age at 31 January 2017 Age Recipients 18-25 29,903 26-30 29,246 31-35 29,013 36-40 27,029 41-45 25,611 46-50 23,459 51-55 19,910 56-60 15,620 61-66 14,526 Total 214,317

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Offices (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Following a review of all of the Department’s divisions and offices some minor and administrative changes have been decided. As the Deputy will be aware the Department continually monitors its service provision to ensure that its resources are employed in an effective and efficient manner. Most of the changes identified will not affect customers. Some customers currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. Recipients of Jobseeker’s Allowance in County Kerry by age at 31 January in each of the years 2012 to 2017 Age 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 18-25 2,192 2,097 1,923 1,462 1,200 997 26-30 1,731 1,721 1,558 1,308 1,221 986 31-35 1,403 1,456 1,371 1,334 1,267 1,072 36-40 1,126 1,186 1,220 1,139...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The systems and procedures for processing applications for the schemes listed vary depending on the individual characteristics of the particular scheme. Additionally, the volume of claims and associated maintenance work varies considerably across schemes. A number of strands of information input into the process which culminate in a Deciding Officer being in a position to assess the claim...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The objective of the Back to Education Allowance (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. To qualify for BTEA a person has to satisfy a number of conditions. These include being a certain age and being in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Availability (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A Public Services Card is issued to an individual following a robust registration process to establish and verify the person’s identity. Part of the required evidence of identity for a non-EEA national to get a Public Services Card is a current valid passport. The person concerned claims to be unable to produce such a document at this time. Consequently, enquiries are being made...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Poverty Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) is the official source of data on the key national poverty indicators and on household and individual income. The CSO released the main results of the 2015 Survey on 1st February 2017. The report includes the measures the CSO considers most useful for the broad user community. The consistent poverty rate for lone parents (26.2%) is on Page...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 to 448, inclusive, together. The activation supports and services which are available to those who are long-term unemployed include the JobPath employment activation service and work experience and training schemes such as Community Employment (CE) and TÚS. The JobPath service procured by my department provides additional resources to enable it to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services Provision (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection keeps the operation of all services, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under regular review to ensure they continue to remain fit for purpose. The table at Appendix 1 details the CWS clinics currently operating in Donegal. There are no plans at this time to open a clinic in either Bunbeg or Derrybeg. However, if a person is unable to travel to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from this lady on 9 January 2017. On 24 February 2017 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on her eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The JobPath contracts provide that a customer should not have to travel more than 60 minutes in normal circumstances to attend an appointment. Where a customer has transport difficulties the JobPath Provider may assist the customer with travel arrangements including the reimbursement of reasonable travel costs. Seetec currently have 29 full-time and 20 part-time offices throughout their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tribunals of Inquiry Data (28 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Tribunals of inquiry are established by resolution of the Houses of the Oireachtas to inquire into matters of urgent public importance. The Department of Social Protection has not been responsible for any such tribunals of inquiry.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 August 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: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 August 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: Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure (1 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 to 205, inclusive, and 210 to 213, inclusive, together. The costings sought by the Deputy are detailed in the following series of tables. Table 1: Cost of increasing the Fuel Allowance by varying amounts Amount Cost in 2018 - €m €2.50 25.45 €5.00 50.9 €6.00 61.1 €7.00 71.25 €8.00 81.4 €9.00...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (1 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The savings arising from the initial reduction and subsequent discontinuance of the telephone allowance meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. My Department will spend approximately €232 million this year on these elements of the household benefits...