Results 18,481-18,500 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection administers the redundancy payments scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to compensate employees for the loss of their jobs where the employer is unable to pay statutory redundancy due to financial difficulties or insolvency. The scheme is funded from the Social Insurance Fund. Where an employer can prove to the satisfaction of the Department that they...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In 2012, my Department commenced the appointment of Temporary Clerical Officers (TCOs) to support the roll out of the Public Services Card project. These TCOs were assigned from panels established by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and issued with contracts for the specified temporary purpose of supporting the roll out of the project. Individual contracts in a particular location...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Authority Members' Remuneration (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I was pleased to introduce Regulations last December whereby county councillors were brought, in their capacity as public representatives, into social insurance cover for the first time with effect from January 1 of this year. The new arrangements (PRSI Class S payable at 4%) apply to all county councillors other than those aged 66 and over and those who are, in conjunction with their...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include Community Employment (CE) and JobPath. CE provides part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a range...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 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 11thJanuary 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) supervisors are not employed by my Department – rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. Contracts with CE sponsors and my Department are subject to the continuing availability of funding. The period for which a CE sponsor contracts with the supervisor is a matter between those two parties. In general, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 15 February 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 25 April 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The State’s employment activation service is delivered directly by the Department’s Intreo service and under contract arrangements by the JobPath service, the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs. The JobPath service complements the service provided by my Department’s own staff in Intreo Centres and by the Local Employment Service providers. This customer was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the question may refer to the insertion of Section 59H in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013 which gives trustees the power to amend the scheme rules in certain circumstances in order to deal with issues around integration of occupational pensions with the State pension and bridging pensions. My Department has no involvement in the matter enquired of by the Minister....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: At any point in time, there will be vacancies on Community Employment (CE) schemes at the various stages of being filled. The first stage involves the Employer (sponsor) advertising the vacancy on the Department’s JobsIreland website. This is a free service to all employers and in the case of CE the vacancy is generally advertised in advance of the vacancy arising. The next stage is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Sponsors of Community Employment (CE) schemes advertise CE vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website, www.jobsireland.ie. Posting vacancies is a relatively simple process and a dedicated video tutorial is available on the site to assist sponsors. Anyone requiring further assistance can contact my Department’s National Contact Centre by phone at Lo Call 1890 800...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned does not qualify for maternity benefit as she has less than the required 39 weeks paid contributions recorded in the year prior to going on her maternity leave. According to her maternity benefit application form and the records of the Department she commenced employment on 13thSeptember 2016 and her maternity leave commenced on18thMarch 2017, giving her a total of 26...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Fire Service Staff (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Retained fire-fighters who are otherwise unemployed are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Applications (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A Family Income Supplement (FIS) claim was registered for the person concerned on the 28th March 2017. The person concerned has now been awarded FIS amounting to €379.00 per week from 30th March 2017 to 28thMarch 2018. Arrears of FIS due have been issued to the claimant’s nominated bank account this week. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Department that an overpayment in the sum of € 35,662.87 has been assessed against the person concerned on the grounds that she was in receipt of Illness Benefit while she was in employment. The period covers 902 days in the period from 02ndMarch 2007 to 26thOctober 2015. A breakdown of the overpayment is attached. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support to farmers and fishermen and women who have an entitlement to specified social protection payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation. In recognition of the important work undertaken in rural communities under the scheme, I announced as part of budget 2017, an additional 500 places. These additional...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Eligibility (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, the objective of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for low income farmers and fishermen /women who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments to work part-time while providing certain services of benefit to rural communities. The issue raised by the Deputy is currently being examined by my officials. The work carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information (where readily available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the table. Number of Recipients as at 31st March 2017 Scheme Number of Recipients Invalidity Pension 56,222 Disability Allowance 128,090 Injury Benefit 1,001

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: UK Pension Benefits (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The winter fuel payment is an annual tax-free payment made by the UK Department of Work and Pensions to qualified people to help towards their winter heating costs. There may be many UK pensioners resident here who receive no payment from my Department but who may receive this payment. However, information in relation to such persons would not be available to my Department as it would...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (2 May 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides work opportunities for farmers and fishermen and women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. RSS provides benefits to communities through the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen. Participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop...