Results 20,461-20,480 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (20 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) and Tús are labour market activation programmes which help long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. They are designed to be a temporary fixed-term activation...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Relations Contracts Data (20 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not applied for permission to engage outside public relations companies for the purposes of disseminating government policy. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Jobseeker’s Allowance payment of the person concerned has been restored. Payment for the period 14/09/2016 to 18/10/2016 was available for collection on 18/10/2016. I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for disability allowance (DA), a person must be aged between 16 and 66, satisfy a medical and means test and be habitually resident in the state.I confirm that this lady was in receipt of DA from 2 November 2005. Payment ceased with effect from 13 April 2015 when she notified the Department of her intention to live abroad. Her entitlement to social protection while...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned made a claim to illness benefit from 5 Aug 2016. Illness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. One of the conditions is that a person have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the tax year governing the claim. Claims made in 2016 are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Administration (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The Government, as part of the budget package for 2017, announced 500 additional places on the scheme which will increase the overall number to 3,100. My Department intends allocating these places...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of Tús is to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than one year. It helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improves a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also conscious of the valuable contribution the scheme is making in the provision of services to individuals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The jobseekers allowance payment of the person concerned has been reinstated following the submission of additional information by her in relation to her claim.I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Applications (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for a payment under the back to education scheme for a postgraduate course (a Master of Education – Level 9) on 19 May 2016 for the 2016/2017 academic year. As this person already holds a post graduate qualification (a Higher Diploma in Further Education), the application was refused on the basis that a person who holds a Higher Diploma cannot pursue a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies (19 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for providing information, advice (including money and budgeting advice service) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through a network of delivery partners which includes 51 local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) and 42 local Citizens Information...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the weekly social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.976 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the 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: Departmental Legal Services (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: With appeals involving Scope decisions, the parties to the appeal are the employer, employee or self-employee. My Department outlines the decision made by its deciding officers and the basis for the decision, after which the parties to the appeal present evidence to the Appeals Officer who makes the final decision. Legal advice is available to Scope decision makers from the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 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 28 July 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: Carer's Allowance Appeals (18 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance (CA) was in payment to the person concerned up to 3 August 2016 in respect of two care recipients. CA is a means tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they...