Results 21,721-21,740 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (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 pattern of participation on the Community Employment (CE) programme is dependent on the individual circumstance of each...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed by scheme in the following table for years 2013 to 2015. County breakdown of activation participants for Cork Year Community Employment Rural Social Scheme Tús Gateway Back To Work Allowance - Self-employed Back to Work Allowance -Employee JobBridge Back to Education Allowance Partial Capacity Benefit Short-Term Enterprise...

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

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 17 February 2016. The first payment was made by her chosen payment method on 1 June 2016.Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable). I trust that this...

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

Leo Varadkar: The new partnership Government is committed in the Programme for Government to supporting carers through an increase in carer’s benefit and allowance. Credited contributions, normally known as credits, are awarded to recipients of carer’s benefit and of carer’s allowance where they have an underlying entitlement to credits. Recipients of these payments qualify for...

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

Leo Varadkar: I would like to acknowledge the key role that carers have in our society. The importance of their contribution is reflected in the range of significant supports provided by my Department to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring - indeed it is worth pointing out that the income supports that carers receive from my Department are among the highest...

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

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 28 April 2016. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their...

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 20 January 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,...

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 7 March 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...

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

Leo Varadkar: A review of the decision to disallow Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was requested on 16 December 2015 and the person concerned was notified on 12 April 2016 that following an examination of the file the original decision was upheld. The person concerned lodged an appeal on the 12th May 2016. The application together with additional information supplied with the appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is designed primarily to support second chance education. It an educational opportunities scheme for persons in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education in order to improve their employment prospects. Entitlement to BTEA is conditional on having on-going entitlement to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for maternity benefit from the person concerned was refused on the grounds that she was not in insurable employment at the time of her application and did not satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions in the tax years relevant to her application. She was notified of this decision on 17 July 2014. The person concerned appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on...

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

Leo Varadkar: Fuel allowance may be payable to certain applicants in receipt of long-term social welfare payments, who are unable to provide for their household heating needs. The allowance is subject to a means test and is paid only to those who live alone or with certain exempted persons. Full details of the qualifying criteria are available on the Department’s website at www.welfare.ie. An...

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

Leo Varadkar: In the vast majority of my department’s schemes there is clear customer choice on payment method. My department will make payment directly to a bank account or make available a cash payment at a Post Office in line with customer choice. Payment options are set out on scheme application forms with no emphasis or preference on either payment method. For some schemes, mainly those...

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

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other specific disadvantaged groups with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. The pattern of participation on the Community Employment (CE) programme is dependent on the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Correspondence (8 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Up to 2,553 representations were recorded by the Department during the period January 2015 to 31 May 2016 as requiring a reply from the Minister. This includes representations from Councillors and individuals the Minister would reply to directly. A monthly breakdown of this data is not available. There are 99 replies outstanding at 31 May 2016.

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 12 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...

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

Leo Varadkar: Participants in certain employment schemes, including community employment schemes (CE), receive a weekly payment which is equal to the social welfare payment appropriate to their family size, plus a top up of €22.50. This income has been for many years treated in the same manner as earnings from employment for PRSI purposes, and accordingly is subject to Class A PRSI. Therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (2 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for a gradual increase in the State pension age. This process began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) previously available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. There are no plans to introduce changes to this legislation which was introduced on foot of a Government commitment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (2 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 19 January 2016. In order to establish medical suitability, forms for completion issued to the person concerned on 19...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (2 Jun 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The wage subsidy scheme (WSS) is a support to private sector employers, providing financial incentives to employers who take on people with a disability for between 21 and 39 hours per week under a contract of employment. Rehab Enterprises, which is one of the largest organisations providing employment to people with disabilities in Ireland, was closely involved in the setting up of this...