Results 21,461-21,480 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The full cost of extending the current threshold of the income disregard under the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) from its current threshold of €90 a week to €95 a week; €100 a week; €105 a week; €110 a week; €115 a week; €120 a week; and €125 a week is outlined in tabular form. These figures are based on the current profile of OFP...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299, 301 to 303, inclusive, 305, 306, 309 and 310 together. The costings sought by the Deputy are outlined in the format agreed with the Deputy’s office. The costs of higher or lower increases in the various rates of payment are proportionate to the costs shown for a given rate of increase. As also requested by the Deputy’s office, the costs do...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €38.8 million for this scheme in 2016. I recently announced that the 2016 BSCFA scheme is open for applications. In 2016, similar to arrangements in previous years, a large...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The dental and optical benefit schemes were restricted to a free annual dental exam and a free two yearly optical examination from January 2010. The potential cost of restoring the scheme in 2016 to its 2009 format (assuming the same level of customer applications as in 2009), would be as set out in the following table, allowing for the potential % increase in fees as suggested by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The savings arising from the initial reduction and subsequent discontinuance of the telephone allowance meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. My Department will spend approximately €228 million this year on these elements of the household benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Data (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to 391,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €224 million in 2016. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (28 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 8 April 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications.Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen. Frequently, delays...

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (27 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue. It will be difficult to say everything I wish to say in five minutes, but I will endeavour to do so. First, I regret but respect the result of the referendum in the United Kingdom last Thursday. However, I am deeply saddened for the young people who voted by a large majority to remain in the European Union, particularly those...

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (27 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Am I up next?

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit as a universal payment to help families with the cost of raising children and plays an important role in tackling child poverty. It does not rely on a means test or social insurance contributions and is paid to the parents of qualified children up to the age of 18 years. It is paid to around 624,000 families for almost 1.2 million children with my Department spending this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 156 to 158, inclusive, together. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations at a cost of €42 million in 2016. There are two schemes operated under the school meals programme. The first is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The redundancy payments scheme, administered by the Department of Social Protection, compensates workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2013, for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy in situations where their employer is unable to make the redundancy payment, including situations of insolvency. To process a claim under the scheme, a signed RP50 (claim form) must be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 55,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was awarded a rent supplement under the rent supplement initiative in May 2014. In September 2015 the accommodation on which the rent supplement was payable went into receivership. The claimant was requested, as is required in such circumstances, to submit a rent supplement application form completed by the new landlord, the receiver. This application was not received...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Where it transpires that a person on JobPath requires additional supports that are not available on JobPath but such supports are available under the EmployAbility Service then the JobPath provider will contact the Department so that arrangements may be made for the person to avail of the EmployAbility Service. A jobseeker who wishes to avail of the EmployAbility Service must apply to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under Social Protection Regulations, the rate payable on illness benefit claims is dependent on a person's average weekly earnings in the governing contribution year. For claims made in 2016 the governing contribution year is 2014. The person concerned is in receipt of illness benefit from 30 May 2016. The rate of illness benefit payable is €147.30 per week which reflects their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned applied for Family Income Supplement (FIS) on the 24thMarch 2016. To qualify for FIS, you must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for at least 19 hours per week or 38 hours per fortnight and this condition must continue to be satisfied for the duration of your claim. Based on all the evidence available, a deciding officer disallowed this claim...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance Applications (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The application for back to work enterprise allowance by the person concerned is currently with a social welfare inspector for investigation. When the inspector completes his investigation, a report will be forwarded to a deciding officer in the local INTREO Centre. The person concerned will be notified in writing when a decision has been made. I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.976 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2016, representing approximately 35% of overall expenditure. Due to demographic changes, my Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Allowances (23 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Responsibility for Civil Service allowances rests with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Following the Government Decision of 18thSeptember 2012 in relation to allowances in payment to civil servants, a number of allowances were to be abolished or reviewed and modified. This was communicated to all Departments by letter from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on...