Results 21,381-21,400 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Department has become aware in recent times of an increase in insurance premiums for community employment (CE) schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, the Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. In this context, schemes are asked to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department’s allocation for 2016, at over €19.625 billion, is almost €1.9 billion higher or 10.4% than expenditure in 2008. The cost of increasing all working age weekly payments to their 2009 equivalent rates is of the order of €0.9 billion. After a series of challenging years, improvements for people in receipt of social welfare payments began in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention on a full time basis. The means test for carers allowance has been significantly eased over the years, and is now one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse’s earnings. Since April 2008, the income...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Tús was set up to provide short-term, work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. It is designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the labour market. In addition, as a community work placement scheme, Tús provides valuable services to local communities. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The issue of reform in the pension industry and improvements to pension governance is certainly a priority of my Department and will remain so going forward. The Pensions Authority, under the Pensions Act 1990, is the regulator for occupational pension schemes in Ireland. The Authority provides a wide range of information and guidance to help and support trustees to comply with their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jun 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 scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The average appeal processing time for appeals determined by summary decision and following an oral hearing in 2015 and to date in 2016 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is as outlined in the tables. The unprecedented increase in appeal receipts since 2009 placed considerable pressure on the appeals office and impacted adversely on processing times. The overall number of appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The common practice is that a person will apply to Scope section in the Department of Social Protection for a determination concerning their PRSI status in advance of applying for a State pension. Scope section will determine if a person genuinely worked in a partnership and is able to demonstrate that that was the case. Where retrospective commercial partnership status is approved, persons...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension (contributory) SPC 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Data (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. I note that over the five-year period in question, the number of Jobseeker's Benefit recipients has decreased by two thirds from 109,209 at end-May 2011 to 37,347 at end-May 2016. Jobseeker's Allowance Recipients at 31 May in each of the years 2011 to 2016 Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Recipients 280,833...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department monitors on an ongoing basis all social welfare income support schemes including the one-parent family payment scheme (OFP). The majority of customers affected by the reforms to the OFP scheme transitioned to the jobseeker's transitional payment (JST). My Department, at the request of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, intend to carry out a review of the JST...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the recent referendum in the UK regarding their European Union membership. The 2016 Revised Estimates provides an allocation of €19.625 billion to my Department. The Summer Economic Statement, published last week, sets out that the estimated indicative fiscal space for 2017 is around €1 billion. As confirmed by the Taoiseach at the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (30 Jun 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. Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment has fallen substantially to 15% in May 2016....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: One of the main priorities for the Department is to build on achievements already made to integrate services into a new service delivery model and streamline the applications process for all schemes. Staff in my Department administer over 70 different schemes and services. The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. Processing times...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The client concerned has been requested to provide the Department with up to date documentation regarding changes to their rate of rent payable. On receipt of same the claim will be re-assessed with regard to entitlement. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The rate of Rent Supplement for the client concerned was increased as an exceptional measure due to extenuating family circumstances in September 2015. The client concerned is in receipt of their maximum entitlement to Rent Supplement based on their weekly means and family composition. The client has been requested to provide the Department with an up to date lease agreement confirming any...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Appeals (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Parliamentary Question No.202 [14192/16] refers payment of carer’s allowance to the person concerned was terminated in January 2016, when means were not disclosed during the course of a review of entitlement. The person concerned has appealed this decision and her case is currently with the social welfare appeals office hearing. Entitlement to rent supplement is based on household...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The minimum limit of indemnity for public liability insurance for a community employment scheme is currently set at €6.5 million. This amount of cover is industry-standard for the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My department is obliged to recover all debt owed to it as quickly as possible and within the relevant legislation and guidelines governing the recovery of debt. The person concerned has an outstanding debt due to my department and proposals on its recovery have been made to her. The debt arose during the period from 28 April 2014 to 14 October 2014 while the person concerned was in receipt...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (30 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 5thJanuary 2016. I am advised that the person concerned has submitted additional evidence and that the Appeals Officer has referred the case back to the Department of Social Protection for review. As soon as the review is complete, the Appeals Officer will complete...