Results 18,421-18,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for Carer's Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 18 August 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 the...

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

Leo Varadkar: Provisional expenditure for 2016 on the Carer’s Support Grant was €172.3m, which represents payment of just under 101,400 grants. The grant was paid at €1,700 in respect of each person being cared for. It is anticipated that about 106,400 grants will be paid this year, resulting in expenditure of €180.9m. Expenditure to end-March 2017 was just under €3.7m....

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

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: Household Benefits Scheme (9 May 2017)

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: National Advocacy Service (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides an independent, confidential and free issues-based representative advocacy service that works exclusively for the person using the service and adheres to the highest professional standards. NAS has a particular remit for people with disabilities who are isolated from their community and services, have communication...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In recent Budgets my Department has protected primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as the State pension. The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716, and this represented an increase of approximately 4% on 2012. Based on a similar...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (9 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: Social Insurance (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government is committed to improving the position of people who are self-employed generally, including the commitment to extend PRSI coverage for self-employed people. As part of Budget 2017, I introduced a number of important measures which will benefit self-employed people, namely the extension of cover in 2017 for treatment benefits and invalidity pension. I have...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the take-home pay of families on low incomes. One such commitment is the proposed “working family payment” targeted at low-income families. My Department’s approach to developing the working family payment will be guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays and that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Each Community Employment (CE) scheme has an individually set weekly materials rate per participant based on a detailed appraisal of their actual annual expenditure levels in previous years. All consumable services and materials necessary for the effective operation of the project will normally be considered. For materials to be allowable, they must be for the use of the participants and...

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

Leo Varadkar: JobPath is an approach to employment activation that will support people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. While customers are participating with JobPath they receive intensive individual support to help them address barriers to employment and to assist them in finding jobs. Each person is assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 283 together. My Department provides grant aid to Community Employment (CE) schemes for the employment of supervisors. CE supervisors are not employed by my Department – rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. The Deputy should note that, in the past, CE supervisors have benefited from pay...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I discussed this matter at a meeting with the local Oireachtas Members and Councillors from the Ballybay-Clones Municipal District on Wednesday 5thOctober 2016.It is not proposed to open an Intreo Centre or Government building in Ballybay, or to relocate one of the Department’s agencies there. However, I will continue to be fully supportive of any initiatives that will boost...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (9 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their community. CE schemes are typically sponsored by groups/organisations wishing to benefit their local community. It has been a long standing requirement in the CE procedures, that the CE...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A Family Income Supplement (FIS) claim was registered for the person concerned on the 5thApril 2017. No payslips were received at the time of application from the person concerned. These were requested on the 27thApril 2017. When the payslips are received, the FIS claim will be processed. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is committed to modernising its service delivery and developing systems to support its functions. Responsibility for Community Employment (CE) transferred from FÁS to my Department in January 2012 and continued to be delivered on a SOLAS IT platform. The CE programme is now being integrated onto my Department’s IT infrastructure. This will have a positive impact...

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

Leo Varadkar: An application for jobseeker’s allowance in the case of the person concerned is currently being processed. The person concerned submitted an application for supplementary welfare allowance in the interim and was awarded payment with effect from 3/5/17. She will be informed of the outcome of her jobseeker’s allowance application as soon as it has been processed. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (9 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: State Pensions (9 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating the rate of pension entitlement. Entitlement is banded, with the maximum rate payable to those with a yearly average of 48-52 contributions, and the minimum rate payable to those with a yearly average in the range of 10-14 contributions per year. Even if someone has only 10...