Results 18,821-18,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for disability allowance (DA) by the person concerned, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and he was notified in writing of this decision on 28 September 2015. The person in question requested a review of the decision by a deciding officer (DO) and submitted additional evidence for consideration. The review has now been concluded by a DO and the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 13thJune 2016, 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: Disability Allowance Applications (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 28 January 2016. On 19 May 2016 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation, omitted from her original application, and required by the deciding officer (DO) in order to make a decision on her eligibility. However, this information has not yet been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that, on 21 October 2015, the department received an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA). This application for DA, based upon the evidence submitted, was disallowed and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 14 January 2016. The person in question subsequently requested a review of the decision by a deciding officer...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to thank the Deputy for highlighting this matter. This is a very difficult time for the former employees of the company concerned and my thoughts are with the workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the company going into receivership. The priority of the Department of Social Protection is to ensure that former employees receive their statutory entitlements. Employees...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Functions (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Carltona doctrine (or Carltona principle) expresses the concept that the acts of departmental officials are synonymous with the actions of the Minister with responsibility for that Government department. It recognises the reality that because Ministers have so many functions and duties they cannot be expected to carry them out themselves. These functions and duties are normally...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department has become aware in recent times of an increase in insurance premiums for community employment (CE) schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, the Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. In this context schemes are asked to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 14 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: Carer's Allowance Applications (22 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 11 March 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: Child Benefit Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit as a universal payment to help families with the cost of raising children and plays an important role in tackling child poverty. It does not rely on a means test or social insurance contributions and is paid to the parents of qualified children up to the age of 18 years. It is paid to around 624,000 families for almost 1.2 million children with my Department spending this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 156 to 158, inclusive, together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations at a cost of €42 million in 2016. There are two schemes operated under the school meals programme. The first is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The redundancy payments scheme, administered by the Department of Social Protection, compensates workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2013, for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy in situations where their employer is unable to make the redundancy payment, including situations of insolvency. To process a claim under the scheme, a signed RP50 (claim form) must be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 55,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was awarded a rent supplement under the rent supplement initiative in May 2014. In September 2015 the accommodation on which the rent supplement was payable went into receivership. The claimant was requested, as is required in such circumstances, to submit a rent supplement application form completed by the new landlord, the receiver. This application was not received...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Where it transpires that a person on JobPath requires additional supports that are not available on JobPath but such supports are available under the EmployAbility Service then the JobPath provider will contact the Department so that arrangements may be made for the person to avail of the EmployAbility Service. A jobseeker who wishes to avail of the EmployAbility Service must apply to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under Social Protection Regulations, the rate payable on illness benefit claims is dependent on a person's average weekly earnings in the governing contribution year. For claims made in 2016 the governing contribution year is 2014. The person concerned is in receipt of illness benefit from 30 May 2016. The rate of illness benefit payable is €147.30 per week which reflects their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for Family Income Supplement (FIS) on the 24thMarch 2016. To qualify for FIS, you must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for at least 19 hours per week or 38 hours per fortnight and this condition must continue to be satisfied for the duration of your claim. Based on all the evidence available, a deciding officer disallowed this claim...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Applications (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The application for back to work enterprise allowance by the person concerned is currently with a social welfare inspector for investigation. When the inspector completes his investigation, a report will be forwarded to a deciding officer in the local INTREO Centre. The person concerned will be notified in writing when a decision has been made. I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.976 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2016, representing approximately 35% of overall expenditure. Due to demographic changes, my Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Allowances (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Responsibility for Civil Service allowances rests with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Following the Government Decision of 18thSeptember 2012 in relation to allowances in payment to civil servants, a number of allowances were to be abolished or reviewed and modified. This was communicated to all Departments by letter from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on...