Results 18,361-18,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Delays (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where the care recipient is in non-residential place of day care. As the care recipient of the person concerned is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 258 together. Reports from members of the public on their suspicions of social welfare fraud or wrongdoing are an important element in my Department’s overall efforts to prevent and detect fraudulent activity. Welfare fraud can be reported in a variety of ways. The Department provides a dedicated service on its website to enable reports to be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Investigations (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection uses a wide range of control measures as part of its strategy to combat fraud and improve compliance in the social welfare system. The control strategy is set out in the Department Compliance and Anti-fraud Strategy 2014 to 2018. The Department publishes an annual report on the implementation of the main actions plans and progress against targets –...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The only internship programme that my Department has responsibility for is JobBridge. It was introduced to offer jobseekers a wide variety of work experience opportunities, so JobBridge placements are not formally accredited. The number of people who commenced a JobBridge placement in 2015 and 2016 is listed in Table 1. JobBridge closed to new entrants in October 2016, so there were no new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned had been in receipt of carer’s allowance (CA) up to 8 December 1999 when her late father, who was one of her two care recipients, died. She was no longer entitled to CA from 9 December 1999 as her means were not less than the statutory limit. An overpayment of (CA) occurred from 10 April 2000 to 12 June 2002 when a Personalised Payable Order book was given to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The amount of the person's average reckonable weekly earnings in the Governing Contribution Year (GCY) determines the rate of jobseeker’s benefit payable. The GCY is the second last complete contribution year before the benefit year in which the claim is made. To qualify for the full rate of jobseeker’s benefit the weekly earnings in the GCY must be €300.00 or...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 5 April 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not possible to identity how long individual posts in particular Community Employment Schemes have been vacant. CE Participants are employees of the Sponsor Board of the particular CE scheme and the deployment of CE participants to a particular post is the function of that employer. Please see the table detailing the vacancies from July 2016 to March 2017. Ongoing efforts are made to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the economic recovery takes hold and the overall level of unemployment continues to fall, the need to adapt employment programmes such as Community Employment (CE) to the changing circumstances, has become more apparent. With this in mind, my Department undertook an analysis of CE, which also looked at the other employment programmes. In this context, it is should also be borne in mind...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Social welfare legislation provides that certain offences are to be dealt with by means of prosecution. The Department's policy is to consider for prosecution all cases of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system. The decision to prosecute is based on the circumstances of the individual case and the nature of the alleged offence, as well as on an appraisal of the evidence available....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together. The Gender Recognition Act 2015 (the “Act”) was commenced on 5th September 2015. The Act provides for the preferred gender of a person to be fully recognised by the State for all purposes. An applicant who has attained the age of 18 years may apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate by way of self-determination...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The number of staff employed by my Department since 2009 including Temporary Clerical Officers is set out in the following table. Posts 31/12/2009 31/12/2010 31/12/2011 31/12/2012 31/12/2013 31/12/2014 31/12/2015 31/12/2016 30/04/2017 Total (FTE) 4910.94 4972.46 5965.57 6732.34 6569.86 6555.20 6497.79 6436.37 6389.79 Total (People) 5275 5351 6394 7154 6997 6962 6898 6823 6781The increase...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension contributory is one of a number of pensions the State pays to people over 66. The rate of payment to a person is related to the number of contributions made over the years into the Social Insurance Fund by the person. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension (contributory), all contributions paid or credited over their working life...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As a result of an appeals officer’s decision, carer's allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 11 May 2017 and the first payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 18 May 2017. Arrears for the period 20 October 2016 to 17 May 2017 have also issued by cheque. The person concerned was notified on 11 May 2017 of the outcome. I hope this clarifies for the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. Number of claims Pending and Average time to Award by scheme at 30 April 2017 Schemes Pending Average time to award (weeks) Jobseeker's Benefit 3,094 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 6,129 2 One-Parent Family Payment 1,171 6 State Pension Contributory (Dom) 3,533 6 Widow, Widower’s and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the value of weekly social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions, at approximately €7 billion, is the largest block of expenditure in my Department, representing over 36% of overall expenditure. Due to demographic changes, my Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year. Maintaining the rate of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The current 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 almost 80 private transport operators. There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 to 284, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. The service was rolled out on a phased basis...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Lower weekly rates for younger jobseekers were first introduced in 2009 and further extended in subsequent Budgets. The rationale for these rates is to prevent young unemployed people from entering longer term welfare dependency by providing a strong financial incentive to take up a job, training or education programme. Should a young jobseeker on a reduced jobseeker’s allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Data (16 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. The savings of €506 million result from control and anti-fraud actions and measures implemented by the Department during 2016. Of this, some €41 million was attributable to fraud by the person claiming a benefit or assistance payment. Reviews and investigations of entitlements are conducted by social welfare staff and...