Results 22,021-22,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Funding allocated for the scheme in 2016 is €44.3m. Assuming that the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Disability Allowance scheme. Disability Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment which is paid to persons aged 16 to 66 who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria). Each €1 increase in the weekly personal rate...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants and who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. The Government has provided €79.7 million for basic SWA payments in 2016. In cases where age related rates apply, the maximum payment for a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 308 to 310, inclusive, together. State pensions account for the single largest block of social welfare expenditure. In 2016, €6.976 billion will be spent on pensions, which represents 35% of the Department’s total current expenditure. While expenditure on pensions is increasing by approximately €1 billion every five years because of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 11 September 2015. In order to assist him/her to make a decision on eligibility, the deciding officer (DO) referred the application to a local social welfare investigative officer for a report on the relevant circumstances of the case. The DO has received the report...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker’s transitional payment (JST) is available to lone parents (both former one-parent family payment recipients and new lone parents), who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years inclusive. These customers are exempt from the jobseeker’s allowance conditions that require them to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. While it is a condition...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in my Department. Given the complex nature of the request, my Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Transitional Payment (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in my Department. Given the complex nature of the request, my Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in my Department. Given the complex nature of the request, my Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In order to provide the costings requested by the Deputy it would require my Department to anticipate the number of lone parents who intend to undertake a course of education where the course will continue beyond their youngest child reaching 14 years of age. My Department would not have access to these projections and therefore cannot provide these costings. However, the Deputy should...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. The eligibility rules that govern the payment of a student maintenance grant are a matter for the Department of Education and Skills. My Department remains committed to supporting lone parents who wish to pursue education and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (24 May 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 February 2016. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (24 May 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 disallow the appeals of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. The Social Welfare Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 24 March 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new application. 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 (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 10th February 2016. The application was not allowed as it was considered that the child did not meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance. A decision letter issued to him on 23 May 2016. In the case of an application which is refused, the applicant may submit additional information and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 6 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: Household Benefits Scheme (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Illness Benefit is a payment for persons who are incapable of work and who satisfy certain statutory pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. Claims made after January 2009 can only be paid for a maximum duration of two years (624 days) after which a further 13 contributions must be paid to re-qualify for payment. The person concerned exhausted their two year entitlement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (24 May 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. A claim for IP was received from the person in question on the 27 April 2016. My department is currently assessing the person’s medical eligibility and will be in touch with him shortly...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (24 May 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Analysis in the Social Inclusion Monitor 2014 shows the crucial role that Ireland’s social protection system plays in alleviating poverty, cushioning people from the worst effects of unemployment and ensuring an adequate standard of living. Using Eurostat data for 2014, social transfers (excluding pensions) reduced the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Ireland from 37.2% to 15.6%,...