Results 18,321-18,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A number of reforms have been made over the years to the State pension (contributory) scheme to provide for sustainable pensions in the future. “Developing the National Pensions System – Final Report of the National Pensions Board” published in 1993, recommended that the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a contributory pension should be increased...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 to 162, inclusive, together. 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). The estimated cost in 2018 (and a full year) of increasing the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (18 May 2017)

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 €232 million this year on these elements of the household benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Farm Assist Scheme Appeals (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The appeal of the person concerned was registered with the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 16 November 2016. I am advised that it is likely that his appeal will be determined within the next week or so. The quasi-judicial nature of the appeal system impacts on appeal processing times which are proportionate to the complexity of many of the issues under appeal and often require a high level...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension (contributory), all contributions paid or credited over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. At the moment, to qualify for the State pension (contributory) a person must...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Authentication (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In circumstances where a British citizen applying for a Public Services Card does not have acceptable photographic ID, such as a driving licence or a passport, they are interviewed by a supervisor and asked to provide information in relation to their employment, social welfare and address history. Where the person has been living in the State, the answers can then be checked against the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: JobBridge was introduced in July 2011 in response to the sharp and dramatic increase in unemployment. A robust external evaluation of the scheme conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants in 2016 found that it is one of the most effective labour market programmes – increasing participants’ employment outcomes by 32%. It also found that while participants rated the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has not lodged an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment. The Designated Person in the Intreo Office concerned has forwarded an application to them today to complete and return. On receipt of same, their claim will be processed and a decision made on their application. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: According to the records of this Department the person concerned made an initial claim on 24/4/2017 on the basis that she had a difficulty budgeting for school expenses and examination fees. Details were later provided of arrangements made to fund the cost of travel for her mother’s funeral. On this basis an Exceptional Needs Payment was made to the person concerned on 8/5/2017. It...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal by the person concerned having been received in that office. In light of your request, an appeal will be registered and in accordance with statutory requirements the Appeals Office will contact the person concerned to ask her to set out her complete grounds of appeal i.e. the reason why she disagrees with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (Rent Supplement) appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 11 May 2017. The Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. I am further advised by the Social Welfare Appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An interdepartmental working group, comprising officials from the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners, has been examining the issue of disguised employment. To inform the work of the group, a public consultation on the use of intermediary-type employment structures and self-employment arrangements and their impact on income tax and PRSI,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are nearly 57,000 families with almost 127,000 children in receipt of FIS. The estimated spend on FIS this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (18 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. Number of recipients of Family Income Supplement at 31 December in each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017 Year Recipients 2013 44,159 2014 50,306 2015 55,913 2016 57,567 30th April 2017 56,833

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 19 July 2016. 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 throughout...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Administration (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together. Maternity benefit claims are processed in leave commencement date order. The average time to process a paper claim is 6 weeks. Processing claims by leave commencement date order ensures that those whose maternity leave has already started, or is due to start soon, receive priority. Once a decision is made and the claim has been...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Further to Parliamentary Question No. 288 of 14 February 2017, the decision to refuse an application for an exceptional needs payment in the case of the second person concerned was reviewed on request and the decision of the designated officer upheld. There are no outstanding applications for an exceptional needs payment in the case of the persons concerned. It is open to the persons...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. With the exception of the Citizens Information Board, none of these bodies incurred costs in renting car park spaces in the period from 2011 to date. The following table sets out the amount...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 880,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (17 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The number of Community Employment schemes and number of participants in the Dublin North Division are set out in Table 1. Table 1 - Dublin North CE figures as at 15 May 2017 Number of Schemes No of Participants 59 1,459 A breakdown of the table is as follows:- CE Area No of Projects No of Participants Dublin 5 9 207 Dublin 9 7 171 Dublin 11 17 358 Dublin 13 3 55 Dublin 17 12 347...