Results 19,161-19,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. The pattern of participation on CE is dependent on the individual circumstance of each person and the length of time s-he has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 3 December 2015. The application was referred by a deciding officer (DO) to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 14 April 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....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Customer Charters (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department’s Customer Charter and Action Plan 2013-2015 sets out the level of service customers can expect when dealing with the Department and its commitment to provide a professional, efficient, courteous and timely service to its customers. My Department is committed to ensuring that a customer service ethos is embedded in everything it does and is embraced by everyone in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009. The Bonus was partially reintroduced in 2014 with the payment of a 25% Bonus. A 75% Bonus was paid last December to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their financial dependence on their social welfare payments. There is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently approximately 853,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €80 million per annum. The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66, including those with learning disabilities, must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Data (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. A breakdown of applications from Louth and East Meath is not readily available. However, the following is a breakdown for all applications from 2010-2016. Year Applications...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Appeals (12 Jul 2016)

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 convene an oral hearing on this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Reduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009. Budget 2014 further extended the reduced rates to recipients under 26 years of age. This is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. To guard against the development of welfare dependency I believe that it is necessary to provide young jobseekers with a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is considered as the "safety net" within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme Eligibility (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Recently a review of the mortgage interest supplement (MIS) of the person concerned was undertaken and it was ascertained that the interest portion of the mortgage repayment was €6.32 per month or €1.45 per week. Under the scheme provisions only the interest portion of the monthly mortgage repayment can be considered for MIS and as applicants are liable for the first...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for credits has been received and a decision to backdate credits has been approved. The person concerned will be notified of the decision this week. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is responsible for a number of illness and disability schemes which require periodic assessment and reviews. Medical Assessors assisted by Nurse Attendants are employed by my Department to undertake this task. Agency or locum staff are not used to provide cover for staff absences or for any other purpose.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Websites (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is committed to ensuring the information on its website is accessible to all of its customers including families, people in employment, jobseekers, employers, people with disabilities, carers, retired and older people, together with information providers such as the Citizens Information Board or other Government Departments. In January 2013, my Department launched its new...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss my Department and priorities for the forthcoming budget and also, in particular, to hear Senators' views on what the budget package should contain. It is useful in the first instance to outline the scale of the Department's expenditure and its importance for very large sections of the Irish population. An allocation of €19.625...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will try to cover as much as I can in the time that I have. Senator Horkan started by mentioning poverty and social exclusion. The way the Government and I see it is that poverty and social exclusion need to be tackled on three fronts. The first front is jobs. No welfare payment can compete with a well-paid job. That is why we need more well-paid jobs to get people from welfare into...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: We might have a chat about it again. Finally, Senator Gallagher asked about the Intreo offices and the fact that there is none in Roscommon or Monaghan. I will look into that. I am not sure if there is any deliberate reason for that. Maybe there should be offices there. I will see if we can do something about that. The Senator's points on the one-parent family payment, OFP, and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (13 Jul 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 06th July 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: Labour Activation Projects (13 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Gateway initiative is one of a range of activation programmes included in the Pathways to Work 2016-2020 strategy to help jobseekers back to employment. Gateway provides work placements in local authorities for a period of 22 months to those who are unemployed for more than two years. Gateway assists the personal and social development of long-term unemployed persons by providing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (13 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 to 136, inclusive, together. JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The JobPath service is delivered by two companies - Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited. The companies deliver services...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (13 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: JobPath is a service contracted by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to provide long-term unemployed clients with intensive individual support over a period of 12 months, to help them overcome barriers to employment and to assist them to find employment. Contracts to deliver JobPath were signed with two companies – Seetec Limited and Turas Nua Limited. Referrals started in...