Results 21,161-21,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The objective of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. Administration of BTEA by this Department is aligned with the student support schemes under the Department of Education and Skills. A person wishing to pursue...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance (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 full-time care and attention. Full-time care is defined in legislation as requiring from another person continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Payments (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was notified on the 7th July 2016 that her domiciliary care allowance has been awarded from 1st April 2016. The first payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will issue on 19th July 2016. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was first awarded Family Income Supplement (FIS) on 5 June 2014 and they have been in receipt of a weekly FIS supplement since that date. Each year, customers are afforded the opportunity to forward a completed renewal application form and in this case, the person concerned forwarded a renewal form that was registered on 29 March 2016 and his FIS was renewed from 2 June...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for FIS in April 2015 and was awarded a payment with effect from 16 April 2015. My department subsequently became aware that the children of the person concerned were not residing for the majority of the time with the FIS claimant. A social welfare inspector (SWI) interviewed both parents to try to ascertain with whom the children are normally resident. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A family income supplement (FIS) claim was registered for the person concerned on 16 March 2016. In order to qualify for FIS, the applicant cannot be in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance (JA) nor be included as an increase for a qualified adult (IQA) on their spouse/partner’s JA. In this case, the person’s spouse/partner was claiming an IQA on their JA in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 4 July 2016 and the first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated post office on 14 July 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 4 February 2016 have issued by cheque. The person concerned was notified of these details on 4 July 2016. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently approximately 853,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €80 million per annum. The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66, including those with learning disabilities, must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Public Services Card (PSC) is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the social services card and free travel pass and to make it easy for providers of public services to verify the identity of customer. A PSC is issued following a registration process called SAFE, which involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I have appointed two Special Advisers, Brian Murphy and Nick Miller. Mr Miller’s salary is €87,258. Mr Murphy previously worked in the private sector as the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association’s Director of Commercial Affairs. Given his experience, and the substantial cut in remuneration he accepted in order to work as an Adviser, in 2011 I requested that Mr...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed (LTU) and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The JobPath service is delivered by two companies - Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited. As of 8 July 2016, a total of 41,436 jobseekers have been selected for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy (where available) is detailed in the following tables. Social Welfare claims by average processing times 31 May 2016 Scheme Average Processing Time (weeks) Jobseeker's Benefit 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 2 One-Parent Family Payment 5 State Pension Contributory (Dom) 6 Widow’s, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Poverty Data (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The latest CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions for 2014 shows that the consistent poverty rate for lone parent households is 22.1%. This is a slight decrease on the 2013 rate of 23%. Eurostat does not produce a measure precisely equivalent to the Irish measure of consistent poverty. The closest similar measure relates to households that are both at risk of poverty and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU Funding (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection receives funding from the European Commission through several different funding streams. These include the European Globalisation Fund (EGF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) and from the Commission directly. These funds each operate on different timelines and have different rules and procedures. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 368 together. Increased rent limits under the rent supplement scheme were introduced with effect from Friday, 1 July 2016. Supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, including the rent supplement scheme currently supporting some 54,000 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Providing a supportive environment for enterprise and employment is fundamental to achieving the partnerships aim of job creation. In particular, the role of entrepreneurs and the self-employed will be central to this ambition. The new programme agreed with our partners in Government contains a commitment to introduce an improved PRSI scheme for the self-employed. In addition, we will...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Payments (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The self-employed have been liable for compulsory social insurance since 1988 and pay PRSI at the class S rate of 4%. This entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as guardians payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. Self-employed contributors...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Agencies (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Name of Board or Agency Number of positions on the Board Number...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373, 389, 403 and 404 together. The following table lists the cost of a €7.00, €10.00; €12.00 and €15.00 increase in weekly rates of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Disability Allowance, Illness Benefit (formerly Disability Benefit), Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. The costs include a proportionate increase...