Results 21,521-21,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Apr 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 28th March 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 364 together. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Cards (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The legislation governing the issuance of a Public Services Card is contained in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. Section 263(1C) states – “The Minister shall not issue a public services card to a person unless the Minister is satisfied as to the identity of the person to whom such card is to be issued. ” Section 263B states – “(1) For...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: International Agreements (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Since 1923 various reciprocal bilateral arrangements governing social welfare benefits have been in place between Ireland and the UK. The current agreement is the Convention on Social Security between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which was signed in Dublin on 14 December 2004 (Schedule 1 to S.I. No. 701/2007). This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Brexit Issues (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together. Statistics on the amount of people resident in Ireland in receipt of a UK pension are compiled by the UK Department of Work and Pensions. The most recent figure they have provided is 135,070. There are 34,238 people resident in the UK in receipt of a pension paid by my Department. The current arrangements for social security...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. As the Deputy is aware, the JobsPlus incentive is designed to encourage employers and businesses to focus their recruitment efforts on those who have been out of work for long periods, or on young people seeking employment. It provides employers with two levels of payment - €7,500 or €10,000 over two years, paid in monthly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 627,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level. The objective of the scheme is to raise the educational and skill levels to enable jobseekers better access to the emerging needs of the labour market. A person wishing to pursue a course of study under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme must satisfy a number of conditions. These include age, being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specific period, be pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and be progressing in the level of education with reference...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. There are two State pensions. Firstly, the State pension (non-contributory) is a means tested pension and is funded by general taxation. Secondly, the State pension (contributory) is not means tested and is paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support over a period of up to 12 months to help them tackle barriers to employment and to find jobs. As part of the JobPath process each person is assigned a personal advisor who assesses their skills, qualifications and experience with a particular focus on identifying appropriate training and educational interventions in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides employment opportunities for low income farmers and fishermen who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen, participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills. In January last, in recognition of the significant...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (4 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.5 million for ENPs and urgent needs...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Review (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this important issue. Community employment and Tús are part of my Department's range of programmes and schemes, catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. They are designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person's opportunities of returning to the...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Review (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Nobody is taken off CE or Tús to participate in JobPath. We do not allow people who have been referred to JobPath to chop and change from one scheme or programme to another. We have never allowed that and we do not propose to do so. A participant in a programme or scheme should complete it. For all sorts of reasons we do not want people changing mid-stream from one scheme or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Appeals (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The average processing time for state pension contributory appeals to the end of March 2017 is 39.3 weeks for appeals requiring an oral hearing, and 27.5 weeks for appeals which were determined by means of a summary decision. Appeal processing times are kept under constant scrutiny by the Chief Appeals Officer and significant effort and resources have been devoted in recent years to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The treatment benefit scheme provides for a contribution towards the purchase of medical appliances, such as hearing aids. In 2016 some 9,500 people benefitted from this element of the scheme, at a cost of over €7.5m. The scheme currently has over 100 providers, who are required to operate under the terms of their contractual agreement with the Department. This contract covers...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently approximately 877,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €80 million per annum. The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme. The qualifying payments for those aged under...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The aim of the JobPath service is to assist participants in finding sustainable full-time paid employment by providing intensive individual support and assistance. It is distinct from the Community Employment scheme which provides part-time employment and training opportunities in local communities for people on a range of Social Welfare payments including long-term unemployment payments as...