Results 20,401-20,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to low income households. It was paid to 390,958 recipients in 2015. The estimated cost of the scheme in 2016 is €224 million. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is considered the "safety net" within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (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 24thAugust 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: Community Services Programme (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 327 together. At present, there are 6 community employment (CE) participants in place to support the operation of the Michael Davitt Museum. There was no other direct funding from my Department to the Michael Davitt Museum in the past twelve months. A proposal was made by the Michael Davitt Museum for funding under the Community Services...

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

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of applicants for welfare payments disallowed on the basis of the habitual residence condition each year since its introduction, broken down into Irish citizens, EU/EEA citizens and third country nationals is not available in my Department. I have been informed that between 2005 and 2015 there has been a total of 50,961 claims...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Functions (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory responsibilities delegated to Minister of State Finian McGrath, T.D., are set out in the Social Protection (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 326 of 2016). The Order of delegated responsibility was signed by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D., on 21stJune 2016. These statutory responsibilities relate to the Invalidity Pension, Partial Capacity Benefit,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (25 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: According to this department, all payments due to the client concerned have been paid. An uncashed payment which issued on 28/07/16 was stopped by the departments' accounts section and reissued on the 29/08/16 directly to the client at the address he requested. I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

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

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for Farm Assist on 19thSeptember 2016. The file of the person concerned has been sent to a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation and they will make contact with the person in question next week. A decision will be made as soon as possible and the person in question will be notified of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Leo Varadkar: Self-employed persons, including self-employed tradesmen, who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. This provides them with access to the following benefits: State pension (contributory) and Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (contributory), Guardian's Payment...

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

Questions on Proposed Legislation (20 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The programme for Government contains a commitment to increase the State pension, both contributory and non-contributory, by more than the rate of inflation. We have done much more than that in this budget in view of the fact that inflation is minimal. No matter how modest the increase may be, it more than fulfils the commitment made in the programme for Government with regard to increasing...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (20 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The social welfare Bill will be published either on Friday of next week or the week after that and all the relevant details will be contained therein. We will totally reverse the cuts made to farm assist by the previous Government - of which I was a member - for the obvious reason that farm incomes are down. We want to be able to support farm families who are on the margins and also give...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (20 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I ask the Minister responsible to take that question.