Results 20,901-20,920 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: In July 2016, the EU28 average harmonised unemployment rate for the age group 15 to 24 was 18.8% while Ireland’s youth unemployment rate was 17.7%. Ireland’s youth unemployment rate has been below the EU28 average every month since December 2015. Ireland’s youth unemployment fell in August 2016 to 17.1%; the EU28 average for August 2016 is not yet available from Eurostat....

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

Leo Varadkar: The following table provides details of the average number of recipients getting a payment each week on Jobseeker’s Allowance, One Parent Family Payment and Family Income Supplement for 2015 and for 2016 up to end of August: 2015 outturn 2016 YTD end Aug 2016 Jobseeker's Allowance expenditure (€'000) 2,742,509 1,674,371 average number receiving a payment each week...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension (contributory) is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Budget 2017 (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments on social protection. These include increasing pensions and the living alone allowance, protecting Free Travel for pensioners and people with disabilities, and supports a rate increase for people with disabilities and for carers. A review of the farm assist scheme has been carried out. The Programme also outlines the...

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

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently in receipt of disability allowance (DA). The department was informed that he went to Poland on 27 June 2016 and returned on 2 September 2016. On an administrative basis, DA allows for two/three weeks holiday entitlement in any twelve month period. In all circumstances, DA recipients must inform the department that they are intending to leave the state...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Act Employment Targets (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The role of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is to ensure that workplaces are safe, employment rights are appropriate and respected, harmonious industrial relations are promoted and any disputes or breaches are handled efficiently and effectively. My Department has a more limited role in relation to improving workplace diversity but it does provide a wide range of work...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Drugs Task Forces (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is very committed to the ongoing support and implementation of the National Drugs Strategy (NDS). This is evidenced by the continued engagement of my officials with a number of national groups and committees, including the Oversight Forum on Drugs; the National Drugs Strategy Steering Group, the Focus Group on Continuum of Care and the National Coordinating Committee for Drugs...

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

Leo Varadkar: An open recruitment process to fill the position of Branch Manager in Macroom will be commencing shortly and advertisements will be place in local and national newspapers in the next couple of weeks. Each applicant will be required to submit details of the proposed premises where they will provide the agreed services for the Department at a suitable accessible and central location in the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The over 80 allowance is an increase of €10 per week on the basic pension rate, which is automatically awarded to qualified pensioners on attaining 80 years of age. Only one such allowance is payable in respect of each pension. An Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where a pensioner has an adult dependent (e.g., a spouse who is financially dependent upon them),...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office received an appeal against the decision on 15/09/2016. The person concerned will be notified of the decision in due course. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Administration (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: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: State pension (contributory) is based on the PRSI contributions paid or credited by the person over their working life, and the level of entitlement depends on their yearly average number of contributions. The homemaker’s scheme was introduced in 1994 to make qualification for State pension contributory (SPC) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties....

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

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker’s transitional payment (JST) is available to lone parents (both former one-parent family payment recipients and new lone parents), who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years inclusive. JST provides a more generous means test than Jobseeker’s Allowance, allows recipients to work any pattern thereby reducing their requirement for childcare, provides one to one...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Micro Credit Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A Personal Micro Credit Scheme providing for small scale loans by Credit Unions to borrowers who have difficulty accessing low cost credit has been piloted in 30 credit unions. The loans under the scheme range from €100 to a maximum of €2,000, and have a maximum interest rate of 12% per annum. Over 1,200 loans have been drawn down under the Scheme to date with an overall value...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office received an appeal against the decision on 15/09/2016. The person concerned will be notified of the decision in due course. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Administration (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: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: State pension (contributory) is based on the PRSI contributions paid or credited by the person over their working life, and the level of entitlement depends on their yearly average number of contributions. The homemaker’s scheme was introduced in 1994 to make qualification for State pension contributory (SPC) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties....

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

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker’s transitional payment (JST) is available to lone parents (both former one-parent family payment recipients and new lone parents), who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years inclusive. JST provides a more generous means test than Jobseeker’s Allowance, allows recipients to work any pattern thereby reducing their requirement for childcare, provides one to one...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Micro Credit Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A Personal Micro Credit Scheme providing for small scale loans by Credit Unions to borrowers who have difficulty accessing low cost credit has been piloted in 30 credit unions. The loans under the scheme range from €100 to a maximum of €2,000, and have a maximum interest rate of 12% per annum. Over 1,200 loans have been drawn down under the Scheme to date with an overall value...

Government Appeal of European Commission Decision on State Aid to Apple: Motion (7 Sep 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I only have a few minutes and I am not going to repeat what others have said, but I want to make three important points. First, I strongly support the Government's decision to appeal the Commission's ruling. The decision of the European Commission essentially asks us to become a global tax collector for the...