Results 19,921-19,940 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Expenditure (25 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 year....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Payments (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension (contributory) SPC 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker's allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker's allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Training Support Grant (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service 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 person concerned commenced the JobPath service last July. She has undertaken a course to gain a Diploma in Professional Counselling and is currently working on a written...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 31 May 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 normal...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department's Budget Day Estimate for 2017 is €19.854 billion, compared to the 2016 Revised Estimates provision of €19.625 billion. Most of my Department's schemes are demand-led in nature. This demand is driven by demographic trends and economic factors such as developments in the labour market. The estimates are constructed using data on trends in recipient numbers,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The new measures announced in the budget in relation to the farm assist scheme will take effect in March 2017. Those affected by the measures will have their entitlements automatically reassessed using the information held by the Department on their current claim. As you will appreciate, many of the operational issues have yet to be finalised including how to deal with those on farm assist...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There is an option to pay Illness Benefit through the Post Office by way of Electronic Information Transfer (EIT). My Department is considering whether to offer this option to clients currently receiving cheque payments. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 4thOctober 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (25 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 on-going improvement in the economy, as persons exit the scheme through activation, and transfers to social housing, has led to reductions in scheme numbers and expenditure on rent supplement which peaked in 2010. Since 2014, the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently a student attending a full time third level college course. The person was in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance which ceased when she commenced her college course in September 2016. I understand the person did not apply for the Back to Education Allowance and that this scheme cannot be applied for retrospectively.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €30.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2016. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Yield (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The data requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Water Conservation Grant Expenditure (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection is administering the 2015 Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. A total of 886,716 applications were processed and paid as at 31st December 2015, the total value of such payments being €88,671,600. A further 3,381 applications, valued at €338,100, have been processed and paid...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The exit date for the person concerned has now been revised to 15thSeptember 2017 at which time he will have participated on Community Employment for the maximum period of six years. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme in respect of his son on 14thSeptember 2016 seeking help with the expenses for a medical procedure on his son. The ENP was disallowed as expenses incurred for medical procedures are not recoupable from the SWA scheme. A decision letter issued on 21stOctober 2016 advising...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for an exceptional needs payment from the person concerned has been awarded and a payment issued on 17thOctober 2016. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €228 million this year on the household benefits package for over 421,000 customers. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. Budget 2017 announced an additional €5.7 million for school meals, increasing funding to €47.7 million which will benefit over 50,000 extra children. Priority for new applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. Budget 2017 announced an additional €5.7 million for school meals, increasing funding to €47.7 million which will benefit over 50,000 extra children. Funding under the scheme is for food costs...