Results 18,881-18,900 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Means Assessments (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In assessing means for social assistance payments, account is taken of the income and the value of capital (including redundancy payments) of the claimant and their spouse/partner. For means assessment purposes, savings are assessed by reference to the following formula: Capital – Assessment Formula AMOUNT OF CAPITAL WEEKLY MEANS ASSESSED Up to €20,000 Nil €20,000 -...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Magdalen Commission Scheme is administered by my Department on behalf of the Department of Justice and Equality. The scheme enables the women over the age of 66 who qualify to receive the equivalent of the maximum rate of State pension contributory for the remainder of their lives. The current maximum rate of State pension contributory is €233.30 per week. If a person is already...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A revised decision was made on the Jobseeker’s Allowance application based on new information provided by the person concerned. The full rate of payment relevant to the client’s age will be paid from the date of application. Any arrears due will issue with the first payment. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 55,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. The numbers of rent supplement have been dropping at a pace since they reached a peak of over 97,000 in 2010. As the Deputy outlines, the numbers have continued...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: According to information published by the Pensions Authority in May 2016 based on data submitted during 2014 and 2015 to the Pensions Authority under the Annual Actuarial Data Return, of a total of 666 defined benefit schemes 203 schemes were in deficit while some 463 schemes satisfied the requirements of the funding standard as set out in the Pensions Act. The majority of these schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Documentation (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Status of Children Act 1987 provides that where a married woman gives birth to a child her spouse is presumed to be the father of the child. Where the spouse is not the father of the child, Section 22 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 provides that the presumption may be rebutted by either: 1. a statutory declaration of the person to whom the mother was married that he is not the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection’s rent supplement scheme 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. Rent supplement is subject to a means test that is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of their rent,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) is a non-statutory scheme put in place to support persons who are long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups to gain the confidence and skills to re-enter the labour market. Schemes are sponsored by local community and voluntary groups who provide valuable support services to local communities. These sponsoring organisations employ supervisory staff to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Each community employment (CE) scheme has an individually set weekly materials rate per participant based on a detailed appraisal of their actual annual expenditure levels in previous years. All expenditure must be accounted for and vouched by way of receipts. It is the responsibility of the scheme to ensure that they have obtained the best price, including for the scheme’s audit and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 to 279, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware JobPath is a new approach to employment activation designed to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. Two companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, have been contracted by the Department to deliver the JobPath...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Appeals (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 24 February 2016 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department had been asked to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Since January 2011, public office holders pay PRSI at the Class K rate of 4% on their income as an office holder, provided that income exceeds €5,200 a year. Public officeholders include the President, members of both Houses of the Oireachtas, members of the Judiciary, the Attorney General, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and city and county councillors. All public office...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 14 June 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: Social Welfare Offices (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In 2015, my Department answered some 8.3 million telephone calls across its network of Intreo Centres, branch offices and centralised scheme areas. In addition to the telephone service, my Department provides a range of contact channels for customers including face to face, e-mail, SMS (text), and online through our website www.welfare.ie. My Department endeavours to provide the most...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support aimed at low-income farmers and fishermen in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are underemployed in their primary occupation. Persons are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Payments (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The one-parent family payment weekly rate of payment for a recipient with one child (and no means) is €217.80 per week (excluding any supplementary payments, such as fuel allowance). This is the same weekly rate which is payable to a single person with one child in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance, disability allowance and farm assist. The personal weekly rate is €188...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of Tús is the provision of short-term quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than one year in order to break the cycle of unemployment and to improve a person’s opportunities in returning to the labour market. Currently, there are no circumstances under which a person’s term on Tús can be extended. The Tús budget for 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for Family Income Supplement (FIS) on 16March 2016. In order to qualify for FIS, the applicant cannot be in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) or be included as an Increased Qualified Adult (IQA) on their spouse/partners JA. In this case, the person’s spouse/partner is claiming an IQA on their Social Welfare payment. A letter issued to the person...