Results 21,821-21,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The appeal of the person in question was delayed due to an administrative oversight. However this has now been rectified and the file has been sent Social Welfare Independent Appeals office. The delay in processing this appeal is regretted. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Reports from members of the public on their suspicions of social welfare fraud or wrongdoing are an important element in the efforts to prevent and detect fraudulent activity. Welfare fraud can be reported in a variety of ways. The Department provides a dedicated service on its website to enable reports to be made. In 2016, 18,744 reports were received and of these, 15,162 were...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12 months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The programme assists participants to enhance and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The case of the person concerned is being actively reviewed at present. It is expected that a decision will issue to her imminently. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The maternity benefit payment awarded to the customer concerned does not include a dependent allowance, as she indicated on her application that she did not wish to apply for any additional allowance in respect of a dependent. If the customer believes that she is entitled to such an allowance she should contact Maternity Benefit section directly using the contact information on the award...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22 March 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department offers a wide range of employment initiatives including Community Employment (CE) and Tús which provide income support and activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. The number of participants, by county, for these schemes at the end of March 2017 is presented in a tabular form. I trust this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 11 May 2017. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the 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: Maternity Benefit Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Maternity Benefit is paid by my Department to women who have made sufficient paid PRSI contributions and who are in insurable employment up to the first day of their maternity leave. My Department received 45,280 claims in 2016 and a similar number is expected this year. The Department is currently experiencing some delays in processing claims in advance of their maternity leave...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A Family Income Supplement (FIS) claim was registered for the person concerned on 3 April 2017. In order to process this application, further payslips were requested from the person concerned on the 26 April 2017. On receipt of this information, the FIS claim will be processed without delay. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. If you require any further assistance with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 589, 590 and 592 together. The Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 makes provision for the carrying out of actuarial reviews of the Social Insurance Fund at five yearly intervals. Each five-yearly review must be completed within 5 years of the completion of the previous review and a copy of the report is to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Pensions Green Paper consultation process commenced in October 2007 and was completed in May 2008. It formed the basis of the National Pension Framework published in 2010. The Framework set out that the State pension age would increase to 66 in 2014, 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. This was a response to increasing life expectancy, which has been well documented both in Ireland and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The statistics in the format requested by the Deputy are not available. The determining factor of a person’s qualifying rate of entitlement to state pension (contributory) is the yearly average of the number of social insurance contributions, paid and credited, over the person’s working life. Maximum rate state pension (contributory) is payable where a yearly average of 48 or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Recruitment (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department keeps staffing matters under constant review in order to ensure all priority vacancies are filled in a timely manner and that resource allocations are balanced across the Department to meet key priorities as necessary. However, as the Deputy will be aware my Department must operate within its ceiling under the Employment Control Framework and accordingly not all vacancies which...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Under Budget 2017, every Community Employment participant received an extra €5 per week with effect from 13thMarch 2017 and those in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult also received an additional €3.30 or €2.10 depending on their individual circumstances. As the Deputy is aware, increases to payment rates are a budgetary matter and would have to considered...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (2 May 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. Turas Nua currently operates 27 full-time and 14 part-time offices throughout...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The number of Community Employment (CE) scheme projects currently in operation in each county, including the number of CE supervisors, assistant supervisors and participants, as at the end of March 2017 are set out in tabular form. County No. of Projects Supervisors Assistant Supervisors Current Participants Carlow 15 20 4 399 Cavan 12 13 4 320 Clare 25 27 7 470 Cork 82...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Records (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The ERIN system in the Department is an integrated file tracking system that is used by staff in offices to pinpoint the location of a paper based case file at any given time, i.e. throughout its life cycle from creation to finalisation. The system records and monitors the progress of the case file as it is assigned for action across the office network and to individual investigators. ...