Results 21,701-21,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. Other than the Professional Masters in Education, which is a pre-requisite to taking up a teaching post, BTEA does not provide income support to those seeking to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer's allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 9 February 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 are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department operates a range of employment support measures, including Tús and JobPath, to assist the unemployed to re-enter the labour market. Tús was introduced in 2011 to provide work opportunities in the community for those who are unemployed for more than a year. JobPath is a new approach to employment activation to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: It is the policy of the Department to seek recovery of overpayments. The client concerned accrued an overpayment of rent supplement of €4,491.90 for the period 1/6/12 - 28/2/13 as her combined household income from one-parent family payment, FIS and maternity benefit, overlapped for a time during this period, which was not fully assessed as means towards her rent supplement. While the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been in receipt of basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance of €186.00 per week since 12 May 2016. I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (8 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 11 May 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for family income supplement (FIS) was made by the person concerned on 14 April 2016. The assessment of earnings was based on a payslip dated 16 March 2016 (week 11) which showed cumulative earnings and deduction details for the 2016 tax year to that date. The earnings were calculated at €171.00 per week. A DO has reviewed the FIS application and has discovered that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307 and 309 together. The cost of increasing the rates of Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance for those recipients under 26 years of age by €40 per week is €59 million in 2017 and a full year. This cost includes increasing the qualified adult rate to €124.80 per week. The cost of increasing the rate of the Qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. The CE budget allocation for 2016 is €376.5 million and it allows for 23,752 participants and 1,375 supervisory staff. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support for employees with families on low earnings, who otherwise might be at risk of financial poverty. The estimated expenditure for 2016 is expected to be €410 million. To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together. The community services programme (CSP) is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by my Department. It provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 314 together. I recognise the important role played by the Family Income Supplement (FIS) in providing extra financial supports for 56,000 working families. The FIS scheme provides strong financial incentives for many families in availing of employment opportunities. I have asked my officials to commence work on a proposed Working Family Payment which...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge was launched in 2011 at a time of massive economic uncertainty and widespread unemployment. Companies were simply not hiring because they couldn’t afford to recruit, and in many cases insisted on a minimum level of experience. But large numbers of new jobseekers and people who lost their jobs in the recession couldn’t get the relevant workplace experience they needed...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Gateway is a work placement initiative for county and city councils. The initiative aims to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. There are a total of 3,000 places available on Gateway. This year €33.38m was allocated for Gateway, therefore the direct savings from abolishing the Gateway scheme this year...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobsPlus Scheme (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together. JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees who are long term on the live register and those transitioning into employment. It provides employers with two levels of payment: €7,500 and €10,000. The €7,500 is paid primarily to those who are 12 months or more on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received in respect of the person concerned on the 28th April 2016. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the applicant. Applications are processed in date of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Parliamentary Question Number 346 of 31 May 2016 provided an estimate by my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, of the number of students between 18 and 20 years of age sitting the Leaving Certificate for the first time in 2016. It predicted that 36,600 of such Leaving Certificate candidates and 1,300 of such Leaving Certificate Applied candidates (or 37,900...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies that provide JobPath services, Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs. JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed (LTU) and those...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 05 May 2016. The first payment of invalidity pension will issue to his nominated bank account on 16 June 2016. Any arrears due from 5 May 2016 to 15 June 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and full-time sustainable paid employment. Participants are provided with a range of training and development supports including online modules, career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. Clients spend a year on JobPath. If...