Results 19,781-19,800 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Benefits Data (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit and jobseeker's allowance for 12 months and over in each of the past eight years is detailed in the table. Long-term Live Register registrants by scheme, 2008-2016 Year Jobseeker’s Allowance Change over previous year -Jobseeker’s Allowance Jobseeker’s Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department continues to empower and support carers in their caring role through its payment of the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) formerly known as the Respite Care Grant (RCG). The name was changed from the Respite Care Grant to the Carer’s Support Grant in Budget 2016 to ensure that carers are empowered to use the grant in a manner that suits their individual circumstances,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The average waiting time for new carer's allowance (CA) applications at the end of September was 14 weeks as compared to 22 week at the start of June. At the end of September, those on hand...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The average appeal processing time for appeals determined in 2015 and to date in 2016 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the tables. Significant effort and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeals process in recent years resulting in a marked improvement in overall appeal processing times. The average time taken to determine an appeal requiring an oral...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment and youth unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery through effective policies. In doing so it is hoped to promote competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, both long term unemployment and youth...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department estimates spending €500 million on the one-parent family payment scheme in 2016. The scheme supports almost 40,800 lone parents and over 73,500 children. In addition to this, my Department estimates spending €177 million on the jobseeker’s transitional payment scheme in 2016. The scheme supports almost 15,000 lone parents. The aim of the reforms to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has 2 agencies under its remit: 1. Citizens Information Board 2. Pensions Ombudsman In the case of the Citizens Information Board, funds are drawn down as required on a monthly basis over the course of the year based on projected expenditure, which is closely monitored by the Department. If the full allocation is not required in any given year, funds will not be drawn down and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Data (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Currently class A 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%, 1.5% and 2%, is contained in the following table. % Increase in Rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A person in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance who defers a course of study and then reapplies at a later date is deemed to be a new applicant and the decision on eligibility is subject to the conditions on the date of re-application. In this case, the participant, while approved to participate in the Back to Education Allowance Scheme, does not qualify for a payment as she is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The focus of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is on providing income support to jobseekers in improving their education qualifications to access the labour market, meeting emerging skill needs and supporting those who have poor levels of educational attainment. A person wishing to pursue the BTEA has to satisfy a number of conditions. These include being a certain age, being in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (11 Oct 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Programme for Government Initiatives (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a ‘Working Family Payment’ targeted at low-income families. My Department is currently developing proposals for the new payment. In doing so, we will be guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays more than welfare and that no family is better off on welfare than at work, and second,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 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), thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will increase to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. The changes introduced in 2011 were on foot of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Applications (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: According to the records of this Department, the person concerned has met with a case officer on two occasions in relation to a back to work enterprise allowance. The person concerned can make an appointment to meet with a new case officer by contacting the employment services reception in Maynooth. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension (contributory) is one of the State pension schemes, and its rate of payment is related to contributions made over years into the Social Insurance Fund. As such, those with a stronger attachment to the workforce, who have paid more into that fund, are more likely to be paid under that scheme. There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied in order to qualify for a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (11 Oct 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 that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Delays (11 Oct 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 11 July 2016. The Appeals Officer requested additional documentation from the Records Section in the Department of Social Protection. This documentation has now been received and the Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carthanach Community Employment (CE) scheme is due to amalgamate with TASN CE Scheme on 31 October 2016. The transfer of duties will commence then. When Carthanach CE Scheme ceases operation, all CE approved places including the supervisor and assistant supervisor positions will become part of TASN CE Scheme. The matter of redundancy does not arise in this case as the position remains in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (11 Oct 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. Where entitlement cannot be determined based on the information submitted with an application, it is referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 Oct 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 22 September 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...