Results 19,801-19,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: The student universal support Ireland (SUSI) grant - payable by the Department of Education and Skills - represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) enables social welfare customers to pursue full-time education courses and to continue to receive income support. It replaces the customer’s qualifying payment and reflects...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer has completed a review of his original decision to disallow the appeal of the person concerned in light of additional evidence submitted and as a result, has decided to allow the appeal. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Payments (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been in receipt of Carer's Benefit (CARB) from 24 February 2015 to 4 August 2016 and applied for an extension to her claim. The extension was granted to the person concerned on 5 October 2016 and the first payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 13 October 2016. Arrears of benefit due from 4 August 2016 to 12 October 2016 will also issue on that date. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Widow's Pension (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is in receipt of the maximum rate of widow(er)’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension payable to a person aged under 66. The person is also in receipt of electricity allowance and free television licence, under the Department’s household benefits scheme. The person concerned applied for an increase for living alone, which was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Health and Safety Regulations (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection has a Safety Statement that is up-dated annually. The current statement was signed by the Secretary General on 19 January 2016. This statement is available on the Departments intranet and is available for all staff to see. The Department has a National Health & Safety Committee which is a sub Committee of Departmental Council. The Committee is...

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

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Both the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal have no employees. No employees of the agencies outlined above were given gifts or hospitality to attend...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As you will be aware the community services programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. The CSP works on a social-enterprise model. This means that it does not fully fund contract holders but requires that they generate revenue by charging fees or raising funds. All CSP recipients are obliged to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (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 7 October 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: Carer's Benefit Payments (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Benefit is awarded to the person concerned for the period 19 March 2015 to 15 March 2017. An application for an increase for 2 qualified children was received on 25 July 2016 and has been awarded on 7 October 2016 and the first payment will issue to her nominated bank account 20 October 2016. Arrears of allowance due in the period from 19 March 2015 to 19 October 2016 will also issue...

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

Leo Varadkar: Self-employed workers, including farmers, are liable to pay PRSI at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500, where their annual income exceeds €5,000. Class S contributors are entitled to a range of long-term payments including State pension (contributory), based on their own PRSI contribution record while working. Entitlement to benefits cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Clár na mBéilí Scoile (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Is oth liom gur i mBéarla a freagraíodh an Cheist ar thagair an Teachta di. Tá an freagra i nGaeilge leagtha amach sa ráiteas táblach atá faoi iamh leis seo. Chun a fhiafraí den Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí cad chuige nach bhfuil scoil i gcontae Dhún na nGall (sonraí curtha ar fáil) páirteach i Scéim na mBéilí...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (11 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the value of weekly social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions, at approximately €7 billion, is the largest block of expenditure in my 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...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot officially started on 31 December 2013 and finished on 31 December 2014. The number of under-25s on the Live Register and registered in the Ballymun local office, at end October 2013, was 696. The number of under-25s on the Live Register and registered in the Ballymun local office was 466 at end February 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU Directives (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department is, at present, responsible for the transposition of two EU Directives set out in the following table. Implementation of the directives requires legislative change and the Department will ensure that the necessary law, regulation or administrative provisions or necessary changes to existing laws, regulations or administrative provisions will be made to give full effect to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal relating to the Family Income Supplement application of the person concerned was initially disallowed by an Appeals Officer by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 20 July 2016. However, when further correspondence was received from the person concerned the file was recalled and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A public consultation document: ‘Use of Intermediary-type Structures and Self-employment Arrangements’ was published on 28th January, 2016. The public consultation closed on 31st March, 2016. The purpose of the consultation was to invite submissions from interested parties on possible measures to address the loss to the Exchequer that may arise under arrangements (i) where...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant Applications (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The application forms to apply for assistance with funeral expenses will be posted to the person concerned. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (12 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: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal in relation to the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 5 October 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include JobPath and Community Employment schemes (CE). CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in the communities, as a stepping stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a...