Results 19,441-19,460 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by almost 80 private transport operators. Persons resident in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working life...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will increase to 67 in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In January 2016, provision was put in place under the Community Employment (CE) programme to enable older jobseekers (62 years and over) participate on the scheme on a continuous basis until they reach the State Pension age, subject to scheme limits. The provision is available on a pilot basis and is being monitored by the Department until the end of the year when a review will be undertaken...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, including the rent supplement scheme, which is currently supporting some 51,800 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority for Government. Expenditure on the scheme for the period from January to July 2016 is some €164.5 million. The national monthly average expenditure for rent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Since 15 June 2016, the person concerned has been awarded Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) at a rate equal to the maximum payable for a family of 1 adult and 1 dependent child. However, as she has an outstanding overpayment, an amount equal to 15% of the adult JA rate is deducted from her weekly payment. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Guardian's Payment (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Guardian’s payment (contributory) and guardian’s payment (non-contributory) are, respectively, social insurance and social assistance (means-tested) payments made to a person caring for a child, where that child is defined as an orphan under social welfare legislation. These payments were known as orphan’s payments until they were re-named in July 2006. Both payments...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Defined Benefit (DB) occupational pension schemes typically commit to paying the beneficiary a certain percentage of their final income in retirement on a pro rata basis factoring in their overall years of service in the relevant employment. Broadly speaking, data from the Pensions Authority indicates that approximately 340,000 public sector workers and 125,000 private sector workers are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The client exhausted his Jobseeker’s Benefit on 21/06/2016 and applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance which is a means-tested payment. A meeting with a Social Welfare Inspector is required to complete the means report to process this payment. Because the client had been working casually, he was unavailable to attend a number of appointments made with him by the Inspector. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Data Protection (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that to date neither the Department nor I have had correspondence with the Data Protection Commissioner regarding the ability of a Minister or a Department to comment on an individual case. The Department does not comment on individual cases and it takes its data protection responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. It is my intention to seek guidance from the Data Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A review of the decision to disallow Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was requested on 16 November 2015 and the person concerned was notified on 5 February 2016 that following an examination of the file the original decision was upheld. The person concerned lodged an appeal on 1 March 2016. A further review was undertaken as part of the appeals process and the person concerned was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The decision to refuse the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) application of the person concerned is correct and in line with the Department’s scheme rules which do not allow payment of BTEA for a degree course where the person concerned already holds a degree. The BTEA scheme is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Leave Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The introduction of paternity leave and paternity benefit was originally announced as part of Budget 2016. At the time of the announcement, the Government gave a commitment that paternity leave and benefit would be introduced from September 2016. The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 states that paternity leave and benefit is available for births or adoptions, where these occur on or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 28 January 2016 in respect of two care recipients. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 18 July 2016 and the first payment issued to her nominated bank account on 21 July 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 19 May 2016 to 20 July 2016 have also issued. The person concerned was notified of these details on 18 July 2016. Carer’s allowance is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. However, the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Each community employment (CE) sponsor organisation is a legal entity with which the Department enters into an individual contract and, therefore, any formal negotiation about a scheme is with the sponsor. Officials of the Department have been working closely with the sponsors to which the Deputy’s question refers, to address the issues arising from expected closure of the scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are two types of schemes run by my Department – assistance schemes which are funded by the Exchequer, and benefit schemes, which are funded by the Social Insurance Fund through pay related social insurance contributions (PRSI). The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €8.6 billion on benefit schemes. A person who applies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: No application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance has been received to date from the person concerned regarding an Exceptional Needs Payment towards housing costs. In order to initiate an application, the person concerned should contact the Community Welfare Officer for their area at 087 9638588. I note that a Rent Supplement has been in payment since 6 June 2015. I trust this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Data (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The self-employed have been liable to pay Class S PRSI on rental income since the introduction of social insurance for the self-employed in 1988. Employees who also have unearned income, including rental income, pay PRSI on that unearned income, at the Class K rate of 4% since 2014. The Department of Social Protection does not receive data on the individual sources of self-employed or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Yield (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Currently, employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.5% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €376. Once weekly earnings exceed €376, the rate of employer PRSI is 10.75%. The increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 1%, 2% and 5%, is contained in the following table: Rate of Employer PRSI Increased Yield...