Results 20,581-20,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Other Questions: One-Parent Family Payment (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I had in mind a lone parent who was in receipt of the basic payment, not also working and receiving benefits. I will give the Deputy the figures, if he is interested. As a result of the changes made in 2015, 47% of lone parents, 12,000, experienced no change in their incomes; 12%, 3,000, saw an increase in their incomes; and 19%, approximately 4,900, suffered an income loss, as did 5,700...

Other Questions: JobPath Implementation (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The reason they do so is because they provide additional capacity. We have a limited number of staff. They are all tied up in Intreo offices and with their current work. We needed more capacity and the experience of companies involved in recruitment and successfully placing people in jobs. That is what they are doing. I will definitely look into the issue of training costs. What...

Other Questions: JobPath Implementation (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A number of questions were asked and I will have to respond to the more detailed ones by correspondence because I do not have the relevant information in front of me. People are selected for JobPath by the Department based on their being long-term unemployed, or unemployed for more than a year. Essentially, they are with JobPath for a year. They are often people who have been on community...

Other Questions: JobPath Implementation (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As part of any complaints procedure, the JobPath provider investigates and attempts to resolve the issue or complaint immediately in line with the customer complaints procedure. However, if that is not possible, it will record the details of the complaint and acknowledge it has received it. It will give the client a contact name and telephone number and, where it is at fault, apologise and...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Review (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge was introduced in 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy, particularly the sharp increase in unemployment. Since then, it has enabled over 19,000 employers, mainly small ones, to provide work experience and job opportunities to over 48,000 jobseekers. Independent research suggests it has helped about 30,000 of these jobseekers to secure paid employment. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Employment programmes form an important pillar in the strategy to assist long-term unemployed people return to the open labour market. This is achieved through the provision of opportunities within local communities to gain work experience while at the same time supporting the delivery of important services to communities. To be considered for re-entry to community employment, CE, once a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Two weeks ago, I went to Caherlistrane, near Tuam, to see a rural social scheme in operation with the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney. I was very impressed by it. I compliment Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív on setting up the scheme when he was Minister. It is a useful scheme in areas on the western seaboard where there is not much opportunity for off-farm income. I hope we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes Review (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: We are going to look at the rules and make them more suitable for current times. As unemployment goes down, many of these schemes become as much about social inclusion as they do about employment activation. However, the Deputy should bear in mind that if people are allowed to stay longer in such schemes, say three or four years, it prevents others from getting on them. No matter how...

Other Questions: JobPath Implementation (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 18 and 151 together. JobPath is a new approach to resourcing the delivery of employment services to people who are long-term unemployed. Two service providers, Turas Nua and Seetec, are contracted to work with people who are long-term unemployed. These contractors supplement the work of the Department’s own case officers and the local...

Other Questions: JobPath Implementation (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy gives me details of that complaint, I will certainly have it investigated. I do not want to be speaking about an individual without knowing anything about his or her case. However, it is important to say that if one is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, one is receiving a payment from the taxpayer. A condition of that payment is that one should seek and take up employment....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: No, I will not commit to that. Even though the rates are lower, they are still much higher than in Northern Ireland where the Deputy's party has been in Government for a very long time. I will commit to continuing to bring down youth unemployment-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: -----which is already down.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I would-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: What I have said is that jobseeker's rates for young people in Northern Ireland are much lower than they are in the Republic of Ireland. Deputy Brady has said that is untrue. I would welcome a fact check on that, perhaps on thejournal.ie. We will see how that comes out.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I did not have a chance to give my answer because I was interrupted twice.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will give an answer. May I be permitted to speak? This is still a democracy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will not make the commitment the Deputy seeks. What I will commit to is to continue to reduce youth unemployment which is down substantially this year. If there are any increases, they will be increases given to young people who take up education and training opportunities. I do not think somebody who is 18 or 19, many of whom are living at home with their parents, should get €188...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Tackling poverty continues to be a priority for Government. The updated national action plan for social inclusion identifies a wide range of targeted actions and interventions to achieve the overall objective of reducing poverty. The national social target is to reduce consistent poverty to 4% by 2016 and to 2% or less by 2020. The CSO survey on income and living conditions, SILC, for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The next set of figures will be released in the CSO in the survey on income and living conditions which is expected in November. We will have the 2015 figures next month. We have revised the figure up to 97,000 children. The Deputy is quite right that it is not because children have become poorer; it is because median incomes have gone up and therefore the poverty line has moved. It will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (6 Oct 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It will not be announced in the budget. We are working on it for budget 2018. The plan is to develop it, publish what it will look like in quarter one or quarter two of next year and cost it. It will cost if it is to be done in such a way that there are no losers as opposed to winners and losers. I intend to consult with the committee and the other parties on what the working family...