Results 21,541-21,560 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is no provision in social welfare legislation which allows for the suspension or termination of FIS in the event that the recipient is involved in industrial action. However, the existence of erroneous information on this topic on a subpage of the Department’s website, based on a misinterpretation of secondary legislation, recently came to light. The Department took immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The average appeal processing times to date in 2017 for social protection payments which are paid on a weekly basis, broken down by oral hearing and summary decision, are set out in the following table. In addition, a table showing the number of appeals relating to those schemes which are currently on hand is also provided. Appeal processing times are kept under constant scrutiny by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested (where available) by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. Social Welfare claims by average waiting times and number of claims pending 28 February 2017 Scheme Average Waiting time (weeks) Claims Pending Jobseeker's Benefit 1 2,847 Jobseeker's Allowance 2 6,795 One-Parent Family Payment 6 1,117 State Pension Contributory 5 4,260 Widow’s,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised that no private investigation firms have been hired by statutory agencies or semi-states, under the aegis of my Department, in the past five years to date in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Brexit Issues (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together. The Department’s EU and International section [including Irish-UK Relations] is led by an Assistant Secretary. The Irish-UK Relations unit has, at present, three additional staff assigned to it, two Assistant Principals and one Executive Officer on a four-day per week basis due to worksharing. In addition to the salary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Data (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. The Department of Finance’s 2017 Budget Day book provides forecasts for inflation for the five years 2017 to 2021 inclusive. The projected inflation for 2018 as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is 1.8% and 1.9% for the years 2019 to 2021, inclusive. A projection for 2022 is not available. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 10 January 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 20 March 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The second report of the Fennelly commission was received by the Taoiseach last Friday evening and it was then furnished to the Attorney General. It is the normal course of action that the Attorney General will read and review a report before its publication and this has now been done. The report has been cleared by the Attorney General. There will be a briefing for Ministers at...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: One thing I have seen a little too much of in politics is a report being published and within half an hour people expressing views and considered opinions on it and having many questions on it. So often we see things-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----on which people have opinions-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and unless they have some superhero-type speed-reading powers they could not possibly have read them. This report has been cleared by the Attorney General and will be published this afternoon. It is 800 pages long. Any normal person would probably need to read it overnight or, better still, over the weekend, so any opinions on it can be informed and any questions on it can be...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Ba mhaith liom freisin fáilte a chur roimh na daoine ó Chontae Dhún na nGall. I hope they all enjoy their visit to the House today.

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: First of all, the report on water is not yet finalised. I understand there will be a further meeting of the committee today to finalise the report. I am informed that while it does not provide for any mandatory provision of applying meters to new builds, it does not propose to scrap the metering programme altogether. The House will have a lengthy opportunity to debate the report, ideally...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Both parties reserve the right to adopt differing positions on any consequent legislation or resolutions being debated by the Oireachtas. I very much echo the words of the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, and stand by what he has said and has made clear throughout this process, that Fine Gael and this Government will not bring forward legislation that we know to be contrary to European law....

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The real tragedy here is the extent to which personality politics and party politics-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----has overtaken what we all know deep down to be the right decision for the Irish people, and the correct decision long-term. When a previous Government - not lead by Fine Gael - signed up to the European water framework directive, they did not just sign up to some silly European law. They signed up to principles which make sense. Metering makes sense, because that is how leaks are...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----ensures that people do not have to pay for other people's leaks.

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There will be other Dáileanna after this, and sooner or later some Dáil will make the correct decision by the Irish people, will do the right thing for the long term, and that will not reflect very well on the type of personality politics and party politics that we have seen displayed in this House in recent months. I want to ask one simple question and I would like an answer to...

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I reiterate that the report has yet to be signed off on and yet to be published. When it is signed off on and published, it will be debated in this House. It will be sent to the Attorney General, the constitutional officer and the Government's legal adviser, to give all of us in the Oireachtas sound legal advice-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----as to whether what is proposed is contrary or not to European law. The confidence and supply agreement states that we will facilitate legislation but it has always been understood, and indeed accepted by the major party opposite, that it does not require a Minister to bring forward legislation which that Minister knows to be contrary to European law and where he or she has been...