Results 21,601-21,620 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition), which had been available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: PRSI credited contributions (“credits”) are an integral part of the social insurance system. For the most part they are linked to having an underlying entitlement to a social welfare payment while temporarily detached from the labour force or having entitlement to statutory leave e.g. parental or maternity leave. The primary purpose of PRSI credits is to secure social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Relocation (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department offers a range of training opportunities to staff dependent upon grade and function. The ‘One DSP curriculum’ offers training to staff in various roles including deciding officer, case officer, social welfare inspectors, designated persons and managers in Intreo centres. Undertaking the full suite of training for deciding officers, for example, includes up to 11...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Bodies Expenditure (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) under the aegis of my Department is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money advice and budgeting) and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services. It provides some services directly to the public and directly funds and supports an extensive range of services through its delivery partners including the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement (MIS) scheme was to provide short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The Deputy will be aware that the scheme was discontinued to new entrants from 1st January 2014. Customers availing of this support prior to 1st...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has no current claim with this Department. It is open to the person concerned to contact his local Intreo Centre at Moorefield Road, Newbridge if he wishes to make a claim or seek information on possible entitlements. Alternatively, if he is in urgent need, he should contact the Community Welfare Officer for his area on 087 9638588. The spouse of the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Eligibility (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are or will be providing full-time care and attention and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention. The PRSI condition...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to a jobseeker’s payment. However, I am deeply conscious of the long tradition of volunteering in this country and the contribution that volunteering makes to Ireland’s social fabric. In recognition of the vital role played by the voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned made an application for jobseekers allowance and has, as part of the qualifying conditions for receipt of this payment, declared herself available for and seeking full time work. To assist her in her efforts to find work she has been referred to her local JobPath provider and she is actively engaging with them at present. She is being paid the appropriate rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that the person concerned is in receipt of the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance payable to a person caring for one care recipient of €209.00 per week. This includes a budgetary increase of €5.00 per week effective from 16 March 2017. In addition she is in receipt of the maximum rate payable for each of her 3 qualified children of €29.80 weekly per...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A decision regarding Rent Supplement has been made in this case and it is now the subject of an appeal. If the person concerned wishes to apply for an Exceptional Needs Payment she should send an application to the CWS in Maynooth where it will be considered. An application form will be posted out to her to facilitate this. If she has any further queries regarding her Rent Supplement she...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal having been received from the person concerned. In light of the Deputy’s representations, a form has been issued by the Appeals Office to the person concerned advising him that if he wishes to appeal the decision he should complete and return the form to that office setting out the grounds for his...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 15 December 2016 in respect of the provision of care to both her parents. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person(s) being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Leave Scheme (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Paternity benefit was introduced in September 2016 and provides two weeks benefit, currently paid at the weekly rate of €235 per week, to support fathers in caring for their newly born babies. The number of people who have received the benefit, in each county, since its introduction is set out in the table below: Paternity Benefit recipients from September 2016 – March 2017 ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 26 August 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 14 November 2016 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Enquiries by the SWI are continuing....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (6 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested is currently being compiled within my Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Citizen Information Services (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am assured by the Citizens Information Board that its decision to restructure the governance arrangements of its delivery partners will not impact negatively on the front-line services they provide. The changes will be at board level only and no closures or changes will occur at local delivery points. In fact, the ultimate aim of the board is to improve and expand the local delivery of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Citizen Information Services (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Absolutely. I would like to allay the concerns of staff and volunteers in my discussions with the chairman of the board and the CEO. I have been assured on a number of occasions that all the local services and local offices will be protected, as will the positions of staff. I do not subscribe to the view that there has to be an independent company with its own board in every local area in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Citizen Information Services (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know what the composition of the board will be. It would certainly make sense to have representatives of those organisations on it and I can certainly convey that to the chairman. I should say this is a decision of the Citizens Information Board, not a Government decision. There is a reason we have State boards, that is, so that some decisions can be made at arm's length....

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Labour Activation Projects (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the experience of JobPath to date has been very positive. The most recent unemployment figures from the CSO show that the monthly unemployment rate in March 2017 stands at 6.4%. This is a decrease from 8.3% in March 2016 and 9.9% in March 2015, which is a decline of 3.5 percentage points in the past year. In addition, the CSO's quarterly...