Results 20,001-20,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person has been advised to apply for a guardianship payment for her sister. A revised decision has been made to increase her Jobseekers Allowance to the full adult rate and to include a child dependant allowance. In the interim, the Basic SWA payment will be immediately increased to €115.80 per week. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance. She was approved under the Part-time Education Option for a Healthcare Assistant course which included 200 hours of work experience which she completed from 05/10/16 to 15/11/16. Her JA payment was inadvertently suspended for that period, this decision has now been revised and arrears for the period will issue to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance payment since June 2012. She is currently in receipt of their full entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance for a family of 2 adults and 2 dependent children. Prior to October 2016, the person concerned was receiving payment for 3 dependent children. In October 2016, one dependent child turned 18 and would only...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (24 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned had been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (JA) since 1 February 2016. On 29 September 2016, she was interviewed by a Social Welfare Inspector in the course of a review of her entitlement. It was established that her means from rental income and maintenance payments exceeded the appropriate JA rate and, therefore, her claim was disallowed. The person concerned has now...

Local Government (Mayor and Regional Authority of Dublin) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I was referring to how Fingal County Council covers a wide area from Swords, Balbriggan, Malahide, Castleknock and Blanchardstown.

Local Government (Mayor and Regional Authority of Dublin) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Bill and to recognise the efforts of the Green Party in putting this issue very much back on the agenda of the Dáil as well as the broader political agenda. I also note that Fianna Fáil and Deputy John Lahart, in particular, have made proposals and given us the opportunity to discuss this proposed important reform of the way we...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20 October 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Benefit (CARB) from the person concerned on 20 October 2016. It is a condition for receipt of a CARB 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Payments (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Budget 2016 provided for a €3 increase in the weekly rates of payment for pensioners in receipt of a state pension, the first such increase since 2009. This increase was legislated for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2015with an effective date of 8 January 2016 for the State Pension Contributory and the State Pension Non Contributory schemes. Accordingly, state pensioners will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It is a condition for receipt of carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance that the carer must be providing full-time care and attention to a person who requires such full-time care and attention because of a specified illness or disability. This condition is moderated by legislation allowing the carer to work or engage in training outside the home for an aggregate total of 15...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (23 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s benefit from the person concerned on 26 September 2016. It is a condition for receipt of carer’s benefit 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that a departmental case officer has met with the person concerned and that a number of options are being considered. The department will contact the person again in the near future with a view to bringing the matter to a conclusion.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 29 August 2016. CA is a social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to people who have a disability such that they require that level of care and who satisfy a means test. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer cannot...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (23 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These include programmes such as Community Employment (CE), Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús. CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including opportunities for training and development as...

Other Questions: Registration of Births (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Griffin for bringing this matter to my attention some months ago, on foot of which I abolished the fee to register a stillbirth. I will now abolish the fee to register the death of a child in the first year. I want to acknowledge in particular my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, for being so quick to approve and agree this change.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Clearly I am not in a position to make those changes now with the Estimates being done. However, I will take the suggestions the Deputy makes under consideration for inclusion in the next budget package.

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that the Deputy is correct to say that after the period of recession and economic crisis, poverty and youth unemployment increased. They have also been falling in recent years as a consequence of the recovery. In fact, youth unemployment has pretty much halved in the last couple of years. I am sure it was an omission, but the Deputy did not quite acknowledge that. Over...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have always been a bit sceptical about that €200 per answer thing, but I take the Deputy's point. I wondered myself when I was appointed to this office why appeals were so successful. If appeals are successful 58% to 60% of the time, it indicates on first pass that something is wrong. However, it seems one of the major reasons there is such a high rate of success in appeals is...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Nov 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have, yes.