Results 21,261-21,280 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My colleague, Paschal Donohoe T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, is responsible for issues relating to pension claims for community employment (CE) supervisors To this end, I understand that the Community Sector High Level Forum was reconvened in November 2015 to scope out the issue with the CE supervisor union representatives (SIPTU and Impact). These discussions are ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 3 March 2016. Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to people who have a disability such that they require that level of care. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department 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. Details relating to appointments I have made to State boards as Minister for Social Protection are set out in the following table. The Deputy will note that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 5 July 2016 and the first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated bank account on 14 July 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 26 November 2015 have issued to the bank for payment on 14 July 2016. The person concerned was notified of these details on 5 July 2016. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 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 including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 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 disallow the appeal of the person concerned. 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 and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 14 June 2016 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 7 March 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. The person concerned was invited for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (6 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 including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (6 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 bank account on 7 July 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 25 February 2016 have issued to the bank for payment on 7 July 2016. The person concerned was notified of these details on 4 July 2016. I hope this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 27 April 2016 in respect of two care recipients. It is a qualifying condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (6 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned succeeded in an appeal against the refusal of her application for carer’s allowance (CA). Therefore CA was awarded on 4 July 2016. The first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated bank account on 7 July 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 6 August 2015 have also issued to the bank for payment on 7 July 2016. The person concerned was notified...

Topical Issue Debate: Poverty Data (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: There is also the whole issue of transfers. If one compares us with other European countries, some of which are more equal than us, we do pretty well on transfers. Our welfare payments are higher than they are in Northern Ireland, in Britain or in many other countries that have higher Gini scores than us. Where we are really falling down is on services - people on very low incomes having...

Topical Issue Debate: Poverty Data (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for submitting the subject of poverty as a Topical Issue debate. Tackling poverty continues to be a priority for the Government. It is important to point out the figures mentioned by the Deputies are from the survey on income and living conditions for 2014 and are neither new nor recent, although the report by Social Justice Ireland was published today. They relate to...

Topical Issue Debate: Poverty Data (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I will pick up on the points on rural poverty mentioned by Deputy McGrath. Rural poverty is clearly different from urban poverty, although both are equally problematic and need to be dealt with. There is a review of the farm assist programme, with a view to reversing some of the cutbacks from previous budgets. That may help farmers, particularly in the west, who are struggling to make ends...

Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016: Financial Resolution (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I move:THAT the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution to provide for the deeming of amounts to be paid on foot of paternity benefit under the Social Welfare Acts to be deemed to be profits or gains arising or accruing from an employment and to be emoluments to which Chapter 4 of Part 42 of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 26 May 2016. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses outside the home for a maximum of 15 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281, 282, 285 and 313 together. The following table lists per scheme the indicative cost of a €10 increase in weekly rates of payment for those of pension age. The costs include a proportionate increase for recipients with qualified adults. Scheme Cost in 2017 €m State Pension Contributory 208.0 Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made by my Department to full-time carers. It is paid automatically to carers who are already in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance. Payment is made on the 1st Thursday in June. This year, some 86,000 of these carers received the Grant on 2 June. All carers who were automatically...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Data (5 Jul 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit is currently paid to around 624,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure in the order of over €2 billion in 2016. Child Benefit is an important source of income for all families and in Budget 2016 the Government increased Child Benefit by €5 per month, at a cost of €72 million. Budget 2009 reduced the age for...