Results 19,821-19,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Community Welfare Services (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Senator Ó Clochartaigh for raising this issue of the community welfare service, CWS, in Connemara and, in particular, the closure, in September 2013, of offices in An Spidéal, An Cheathrú Rua agus Cil Chiaráin. The Government has provided €30.3 million for the exceptional needs and urgent needs payment schemes in 2016. In line with all supplementary...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Community Welfare Services (12 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I take the Senator's point about customers and clients. To me, a customer is somebody who goes into a business and probably pays money whereas this situation is the reverse. Health care always disliked the move away from the term "patient" to those of "client" or "customer". It is the term the Department uses and it is not trying to disparage those who rely on our services but to ingrain...

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Budget 2017 aims to make sure everyone - the employed and self-employed; retired people and people with disabilities; carers and those who cannot work; people living in urban and rural areas; and the young and old - benefits from the recovery. It is a prudent budget in which there are no giveaways and the changes are modest. Nonetheless, more than 840,000 people will benefit from the first...

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will submit the balance of my script.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Gender Recognition Act 2015 was commenced on 4 September 2015. Section 7 of the Act provides that the Minister for Social Protection shall commence a review of the operation of the Act not later than 2 years after the date of commencement. The Act further provides that not later than 12 months after the commencement of that review, the Minister shall make a report of the findings of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A Fuel Allowance is a payment under the National Fuel Scheme to help with the cost of heating a person’s home during the winter months. It is paid to people who are dependent on long-term social welfare payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. The 2016/17 Fuel season commenced on 3 October 2016. Only one Fuel Allowance is paid to a household. Fuel Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Social assistance payments such as the State Pension non-contributory act as a safety net for people who have insufficient income and who do not qualify for a contributory payment. The use of a means test is to ensure that resources are directed to those in greatest need. Payments from the United Kingdom (UK) are assessed as income under current legislation. If the person applying for a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 91 agus 92 le chéile. Tá mo Roinn tiomanta do sheirbhís ardchaighdeáin do chustaiméirí a chur ar fáil i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Tháinig Scéim Gaeilge na Roinne 2015-2018 i bhfeidhm ar an 16ú Márta 2016 agus beidh sí i bhfeidhm ar feadh tréimhse 3 bliana nó go dtí go...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Earcaíocht san Earnáil Phoiblí (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Baineann an tsaincheist a d'ardaigh an Teachta leis an Aire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A review of the rent supplement payment of the person concerned will be undertaken, and the person concerned will be informed of the outcome of this review once completed. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance from 29th September 2014. This claim was recently closed as the person commenced a full-time college course in September 2016. To date, an application for back to education allowance (BTEA) has not been received in my Department. Entitlement will be assessed should an application be received. I hope that this clarifies the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: According to the records of this Department the person concerned has a lease signed with their landlord dated the 1/11/15 covering the period 1/11/15 until the 1/11/16 and provides for a rent payable of €1250 per month. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has a central role in supporting the rental housing market and deals with disputes between landlords and tenants, including...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person referred to has been in receipt of a jobseekers allowance payment since December 2015 at the rate of €217.80 per week. This is the maximum rate of jobseekers allowance payment for a person with one qualified child dependent. A fuel allowance of €22.50 is also in payment since the commencement of the current fuel season on 3October 2016. The person referred to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department has not, to date, received an application for Rent Supplement from the client concerned. The client should forward an application to be assessed for entitlement to Rent Supplement to the Mid-Leinster Rent Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (13 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 5 February 2016. 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 and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 to 305, inclusive, 331 to 334, inclusive, 339 to 343, inclusive, and 345 together. On Budget Day, I announced the first general increase in the weekly rates of payment since 2009. A €5 increase in the weekly rates of payment for all social welfare payments will commence from March, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department’s schemes are mainly demand led. The demand for individual schemes is driven by demographic trends and economic factors. In the case of most labour activation programmes, like Community Employment for example, scheme funds are drawn down as required on a regular basis over the course of the year based on projected expenditure which is closely monitored by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The rent supplement scheme is currently supporting some 50,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €267 million for in 2016. The most recent analysis, undertaken in June 2016, shows that there are approximately 39,200 landlords providing accommodation to rent supplement customers, of which approximately 260 refer to registered approved housing bodies. In general the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) Scheme funds are drawn down as required on a regular basis over the course of the year based on projected expenditure which is closely monitored by the Department. If the full allocation for any scheme is not required in any given year, funds will not be drawn down from the Exchequer.Various factors may have led to lower than estimated supervisory expenditure in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s Allowance (CA) is in payment to the person concerned at the maximum rate for the provision of full-time care and attention to her son. It is in payment to him since 4 June 2015. CA can be paid at a higher rate if the person concerned is caring for a second care recipient. However, my department informs me that to date, no application has been received from the person...