Results 18,201-18,220 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (30 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Internationally, as well as in Ireland, Defined Benefit (DB) schemes have been facing increased difficulties over the last two decades. This has been due to volatility in the stock markets, increasing liabilities arising from the demographic pressures of increasing life expectancy, low interest rates and regulatory requirements. Essentially the cost of providing benefits has increased at a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (30 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Maternity benefit section is currently experiencing some difficulty with processing all claims in advance of their maternity leave commencement date. Corrective actions have been taken and progress is being made. However, there are still a number of mothers that will receive their first payment up to 3 to 4 weeks after they commence their maternity leave. The number has reduced to 700 at...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Data (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The only internship programme that my Department has responsibility for is JobBridge. The number of people who commenced a JobBridge placement in 2015 and 2016 is listed in Table 1 below. JobBridge closed to new entrants in October 2016, so there were no new entrants in 2017. Over 700 participants remain on the scheme. The duration of a JobBridge placement can 6 months (with an option to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Insolvency Payments Scheme (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together. The mediated agreement for former Waterford Crystal workers covers 1,774 members of the Waterford Crystal Pension Factory and Staff Schemes. The vast majority of former workers have agreed full and final settlements and are in receipt of their payments. During the mediation process it was agreed by the parties that disputes in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Work schemes offer opportunities for the long-term unemployed to gain valuable work experience and participate in training while they are paid an equivalent to their social welfare entitlement in addition to a top-up payment. Participants work for 19½ hours per week. Work opportunities are within communities and, in the main, support the provision of valuable community services in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Government strongly supports the work being done through Community Employment (CE) and the other employment programmes. I have seen first-hand myself, over recent months, the vital role such schemes are playing in local communities, including supporting social services, across the entire country. With this in mind I plan to implement a number of changes to the terms and conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Both JobPath providers, Seetec and Turas Nua, provide immediate reimbursement for travel expenses upon production of a ticket / evidence of travel. This includes bus routes and where no suitable public transport is available, mileage costs will be paid. The amount payable is calculated on the basis of the most direct route from their home address to the office of the JobPath provider. Travel...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Recruitment (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Staff that are recruited on a temporary basis staff are recruited on a fixed-term or fixed purpose contract basis, neither of which carries entitlement to permanency. Once the term has elapsed, or the purpose for which the person is recruited no longer exists, my Department is obliged to end the temporary employment in order to comply with the relevant employment regulations. Permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s benefit from the person concerned on 12 January 2017. Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 31 January 2017, 4 April 2017 and again on 23 May 2017. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is not currently in receipt of a payment from this department and there is no record of a claim having been recently submitted. An overpayment of €331.57 occurred in 2009 and there is currently €158.24 outstanding on this debt. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Widow's Pension (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a widow’s contributory pension at €198.50 per week, the maximum rate payable to a person under 66 years of age. The person is also in receipt of fuel allowance in the amount of €22.50 per week for the fuel season. The weekly rate of invalidity pension is also €198.50. Additional benefits may be payable to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to PQ Ref No: 34273-16 of 9/11/2016. The Rent Supplement for the person concerned was closed in 2015 as documentation requested by the Department in a review was not provided. The person concerned has not, to date, provided the Department with a new Rent Supplement application. On receipt of same, entitlement can be assessed. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 20 January 2017. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have made pension reform a priority for my term as Minister for Social Protection. To this end I can confirm my intention to publish and commence the implementation of an Action Plan for the reform of pensions over the coming months. In Ireland there is a significant retirement savings gap which sees just 35% of private sector workers with retirement savings to supplement the State...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has arrangements in place to assist with member tracing. Where the administrator of a pension scheme or a life company is unable to trace a member using their own resources they can use my Department’s host mailing service. Following discussions between my Department, the Pensions Authority and the Irish Association of Pension Funds, a revised protocol was put in place...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 152 and 156 together. The costings sought by the Deputy are detailed in the following series of tables. Table 1: Cost of increasing the reduced rate payable to Jobseeker’s Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients aged 18 to 24 years of age Increasing the weekly rate of €102.70 (payable to 18 to 24 year olds) to: Cost ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,460 schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of some €47.7 million in 2017. The funding for the scheme was increased this year, as part of Budget 2017, by an additional €5.7 million (almost 14% over the previous year’s allocation) which will benefit over...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: When works were being carried out to existing buildings to convert them to Intreo Centres, universal accessibility was incorporated into the design where it was feasible. In a small number of situations it was not feasible to incorporate full universal accessibility as part of the Intreo roll out. My Department is in contact with the OPW in relation to these particular offices and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The following table details the various schemes operated by my Department and the financial allocations by scheme for 2017 (as published in the 2017 REV estimates): DSP: DETAILED PROGRAMME EXPENDITURE BY SCHEME/SERVICE - [VOTE 37 + SIF] - Expenditure Breakdown 2017 Rev ADMINISTRATION A1 Administration - Pay 294,703 A2 Administration - Non-Pay 254,910 Social Insurance Fund non-DSP...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (25 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently 82 staff members (77.65 FTE) working in the Social Welfare Appeals Office. My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are...