Results 18,401-18,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I want to start by thanking Senator Warfield, Senator Norris - Monsieur Thénardier du Sénat- and Senator Grace O'Sullivan for tabling this Bill on gender recognition. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the House on the issues contained in this important Bill. I join with colleagues in congratulating Senator Warfield on what I believe was a very fine speech on introducing his...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As provided for in Budget 2012, from September 2012, new rate bands for State pension (contributory) were introduced. This resulted in one of the bands (in respect of those with a yearly average of 20-47 contributions) being replaced with three bands (in respect of yearly averages of 40-47, 30-39, and 20-29 respectively). These additional bands more accurately reflect the social insurance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A number of significant reforms to State pensions were introduced in recent years which have allowed my Department maintain the value of the State pension, and indeed increase it in the last two Budgets. With effect from April 2012, the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a State Pension increased from 260 paid contributions to 520 paid contributions. At the time this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Eligibility (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A medical report was issued from the Department on 13 January 2017 to the person concerned in relation to his claim for Illness Benefit. The report was completed by his GP. and returned to the Department on 27 January 2017. It has been reviewed by one of the Department’s Medical Assessors and the person concerned still remains eligible for Illness Benefit and will not be required to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Payments (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 to 151, inclusive, together. The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate employees for the loss of their jobs when the employer is unable to pay statutory redundancy due to financial difficulties or insolvency. The purpose of the insolvency payments scheme is to pay outstanding wage-related entitlements due to employees in the event of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions Reform (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The National Pensions Framework (2010) proposed that a “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) should replace the yearly average approach, for new pensioners from 2020. The aim of this approach is to make the rate of contributory pension more closely match contributions made by a person. Officials of my Department are currently working on the detailed development of the TCA with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Administration (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Currently there are over 2,850 claims for maternity benefit waiting to be processed. Just over 1,300 of these claims have a leave commencement date of 8 May 2017, or earlier. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Relocation (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to my response to PQ No. 178 of 6 April where I advised him that there is no definitive time period associated with the training of new staff as it is very much dependent on the area of work and the training needs associated with same. With regard to the Deputy’s question in relation to Grade 5 and temporary Grade 3 staff, I wish to advise the Deputy that there are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (10 May 2017)

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 appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 1 March 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 2 May 2017 and the first payment issued to her nominated bank account on 4 May 2017. Arrears of allowance due from to 9 February 2017 have also issued. The person concerned was notified of these details on 2 May 2017. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Applications (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As explained in response to recent Parliamentary Question No. 191 on 6 April 2017, an application form for Supplementary Welfare Allowance has been posted to the person concerned. If she wishes to apply for an exceptional needs payment she should complete the application form and return it to the welfare service in Maynooth where it will be considered. I hope this clarifies the matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) participants and supervisors are not employed by my Department, rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. Given that situation, the State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for such employees, even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. It is open to individuals to make provision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (10 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker’s allowance scheme is a means-tested social assistance scheme which provides income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2017 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s allowance scheme of €2.1 billion. In the case of persons aged under 25 years of age, the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Where a social welfare claimant is in receipt of maintenance payments from a spouse/partner, housing costs incurred by the social welfare claimant (e.g. rent or mortgage payments and/or home improvement loan) up to a maximum of €95.23 per week may be offset against the maintenance payment, with half the balance of the maintenance being assessed as means. These arrangements ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (9 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: Maternity Benefit Data (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 to 266, inclusive, together. There are approximately 18,500 claimants in receipt of maternity benefit payment at present. Currently there are over 2,850 claims for maternity benefit waiting to be processed. Just over 1,300 of these have a leave commencement date of 8thMay 2017 or earlier. Maternity benefit claims are processed in leave commencement date...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement. Number of claims registered by scheme 1 January to 31 March 2017 Schemes Registered Pending 31/03/2017 Average time to award (weeks) March Jobseeker's Benefit 35,147 2,739 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 40,959 6,962 2 One-Parent Family Payment 3,005 1,066 5 State Pension Contributory (Dom) 10,109...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance from 5/8/2010 to 2/11/2011 pending the outcome of a jobseeker’s allowance application. Carer’s allowance was also paid to the person concerned during this time. This resulted in an overlap of payments for 65 weeks. The total amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid to the person concerned during this...