Results 20,801-20,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has undertaken no costing of the initiative outlined by the Deputy as the introduction of any minimum wage rate per hour would necessarily have to take place on a cross Governmental basis and costs determined centrally as part of the estimates budgetary process. Pre-determined salary scales negotiated at central level are applied to all staff in the department. On a purely...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Tax Code (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Currently, employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.5% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €376. Once weekly earnings exceed €376, the rate of employer PRSI is 10.75%. The upper threshold for the 8.5% rate of employer PRSI was increased from €356 to €376 from 1 January 2016, to take account of the increase in the minimum hourly wage. This measure...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665, 670 and 671 together. 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. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 666, 669, 675 and 809 together. Supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, including the rent supplement scheme, which is currently supporting some 51,800 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority for Government. A county breakdown of rent supplement recipients is provided in the attached tabular...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 667, 776, 820 and 821 together. The Programme for Government commits to increase the rate of the State Pension above the rate of inflation. The appropriate level of social welfare supports will be considered by Government in a budgetary context in the coming weeks, with due regard to available resources. A €5 increase in the weekly rates of payment to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Rights (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 798 together. I have been in contact with the director of the company concerned who has confirmed that all redundancy payments, outstanding holiday pay and minimum notice payments due to the former employees of the company were paid on 14 September 2016. Therefore, there will be no claim on the social insurance fund for these payments. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672 and 673 together. The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is designed primarily to support second chance education. It is an educational opportunities scheme for persons in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education in order to improve their employment prospects. Entitlement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have been in contact with the director of the company concerned who has confirmed that all redundancy payments, outstanding holiday pay and minimum notice payments due to the former employees of the company were paid on 14 September 2016. Therefore, there will be no claim on the social insurance fund for these payments. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Carer’s Support Grant (formerly called the Respite Care Grant) is an annual payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. An application by the person concerned for the Carer’s Support Grant was refused on 6 September 2016 by one of my Department’s Deciding Officers. The Deciding Officer was not satisfied the care being...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Legislation (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The ‘marriage bar’ describes a rule that existed in most of the public service and some private sector employments, where women were required to leave their employment upon marriage. This practice was abolished in 1973 when Ireland joined the EEC. As employees in the public service generally paid a reduced rate of PRSI, which provided no cover for the State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Payments (16 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In recent Budgets the Department has protected primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving. This allowed the Department to protect other social welfare payments such as the State pension. There are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. Access to BTEA at postgraduate level is limited. BTEA is only payable to persons who wish to pursue a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Analysis in the Social Inclusion Monitor 2014 shows the crucial role that Ireland’s social protection system plays in alleviating poverty, cushioning people from the worst effects of unemployment and ensuring an adequate standard of living. Using Eurostat data for 2014, social transfers (excluding pensions) reduced the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Ireland from 37.2% to 15.6%, thereby...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned had a recent meeting with a Departmental Case Officer in Letterkenny, where he was advised to contact the Educational Training Board (ETB) regarding appropriate daytime and evening classes. He was also advised in relation to opportunities available on the Jobsireland website and various other options including e-college. In August 2016, the person was then...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is to create the right environment for a strong economic recovery through effective policies. In doing so it is hoped to promote competitiveness and productivity. Under the European Commission’s call for proposals for preparatory actions under the 'Youth Guarantee', the Department of Social Protection obtained...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homeless Persons Supports (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 688 and 690 together. As the Deputy is aware from the response to an earlier parliamentary question, the New Communities Unit (NCU) of my Department offers assistance to families who are primarily non-Irish, homeless and generally without recourse to any weekly income. The main focus of this unit is to ensure that families with an entitlement receive an...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Emergency Accommodation Provision (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware from the response to an earlier parliamentary question, the New Communities Unit (NCU) of my Department offers assistance to families who are primarily non-Irish, homeless and generally without recourse to any weekly income. The main focus of this unit is to ensure that families who have an entitlement receive an income maintenance payment, under the terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As outlined in response to Question No. 349 of 12 July 2016, social welfare legislation provides for the disregard of certain compensation awards when assessing the means of a person for social assistance schemes. This includes all income derived from compensation awarded by the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal, by the Residential Institutions Redress Board and in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The new partnership Government is committed to supporting carers through an increase in carer’s benefit and allowance. Credited contributions, normally known as credits, are awarded to recipients of carer’s benefit and of carer’s allowance where they have an underlying entitlement to credits. Recipients of these payments qualify for credits where they have at least...