Results 18,641-18,660 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 12 April 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications.Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.Frequently, delays...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Participants in certain employment schemes, including community employment schemes (CE), receive a weekly payment which is equal to the social welfare payment appropriate to their family size, plus a top up of €22.50. This income has been for many years treated in the same manner as earnings from employment for PRSI purposes, and accordingly is subject to Class A PRSI. Therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Farm Assist is one of a range of means social assistance schemes operated by my Department. The means test for these schemes takes account of the income and assets of both the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, including the earnings and assets of the spouse. No account is taken of the value of the family home. Where a claimant or their spouse has income from self-employment,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Placements (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy – particularly the sharp increase in unemployment. The primary aim of the scheme is to give unemployed people the opportunity to secure work experience and prove their competence to prospective employers. To date, Job Bridge has attracted the voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the concerns of the Irish Postmasters’ Union. In respect of payments my Department provides two main options for payment methods for its customers: payments direct to customer accounts in financial institutions or payments in cash at post offices. In 2015 my department made over 38 million cash payments at Post Offices at a cost of €54 million. These welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Widow's Pension (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are three main schemes operated by the Department which are payable to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners: a contributory pension, a death benefit pension and a non-contributory pension. The latter scheme is only payable to widow/er’s and surviving civil partners under 66 years of age with no children – claimants aged 66 and over can apply for the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme Data (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 to 97, inclusive, together. All of these questions (PQ 15141 through to 15146-16) relate to expenditure on certain dental treatments in 2009 and the potential cost of re-introducing these treatments. The treatments available under the dental benefit scheme were limited in Budget 2010 to an annual free dental examination. The cost in 2009 of the three...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer's allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 February 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen. Frequently, delays...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The appeal of the person concerned to the independent social welfare appeals office against a refusal of carer's allowance (CA) has been allowed and the application was awarded on 7 June 2016. The first payment of CA is due to issue to her nominated bank account on 23 June 2016. Any arrears of allowance due (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals office by the person concerned against a refusal of carer's allowance (CA) has been allowed and the application was awarded on 7 June 2016. The first payment of CA is due to issue to his nominated post office on 23 June 2016. Any arrears of allowance due (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Legislative Programme (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government sets out the key priorities for the Government for its term in office. There are no Department of Social Protection Bills from the previous Dáil to be re-initiated. My Department's normal legislative cycle involves the enactment of two or more Social Welfare Bills each year: - a Bill, usually in December each year, whose primary focus is to implement the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 31 March 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: Departmental Staff Allowances (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: This is a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (9 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for a Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) payment a person must suffer a loss of employment. The normal level of employment is calculated once at the start of each JB claim and remains for the duration of the claim. The person concerned is a part-time factory worker and her pattern of employment has been calculated at one day per week. The person concerned applied for JB on 14...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 278 together. There are currently approximately 2,700 people in receipt of the mortgage interest supplement scheme for which the Government has provided over €7 million for in 2016. The scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 January 2014, with customers availing of this support prior to 1st January 2014 retaining entitlement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277, 279, 308, 317, 331 and 332 together. Supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, such as the rent supplement scheme currently supporting in excess of 55,500 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority for Government and are being considered by the Cabinet Committee on Housing in the context of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, long term unemployment is falling. The long-term unemployment rate peaked at 9.5% in Q1 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 15.0% (27,900) in May 2016 (as estimated by CSO),...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Administration (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection is administering the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community, and Local Government. As of 13th June 2016, a total of 890,036 grant applications had been submitted by householders and processed. The administration and payment of this grant was a significant project requiring the development and implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Activation Projects (14 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 289 together. The EmployAbility programme is a national employment service dedicated to improving employment outcomes for job seekers with a disability. EmployAbility participants are people with a disability, which can range from physical to mental health, who are able to work a minimum of 8 hours per week and who need the support of a job coach...