Results 18,561-18,580 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (13 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that the person concerned is in receipt of the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance payable to a person caring for one care recipient of €209.00 per week. This includes a budgetary increase of €5.00 per week effective from 16 March 2017. In addition she is in receipt of the maximum rate payable for each of her 3 qualified children of €29.80 weekly per...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 February 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: Exceptional Needs Payments (13 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As per response to PQ Ref 17329-17 an application form for Supplementary Welfare Allowance has been posted to the person concerned. If they wish to apply for an Exceptional Needs Payment they should complete the application form and send it to the CWS in Maynooth where it will be considered. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (13 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) can be paid to a jobseekers allowance recipient when the child is over 18 if that child is in full time education, up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 22. The person concerned is required to provide the Intreo Office with a registration letter from the college confirming the child is attending full...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Information and Communications Technology (13 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is a major user of Information Technology and has made significant investment in supporting technical infrastructure over previous years. The final agreed capital funding available for investment in information technology infrastructure and office equipment in 2016 was €10.4m and €8m in 2017. The Department has agreed capital allocations for the remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As is common with social security systems across the world, the Irish social welfare system generally applies the principle of one person, one payment. It can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time such as being on maternity leave, while providing full-time care and attention to a person, who consequent on an illness or disability, requires such care....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: 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. Two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua, have been contracted to deliver the service. While engaging with the JobPath service, participants are provided with a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) section incorrectly calculated the FIS entitlement of the person concerned as it included the part time job incentive payment in its calculation The FIS claim for the person concerned has been reviewed and their weekly payment will increase to €196.00. FIS arrears will issue to their designated Bank Account this Thursday. I hope this clarifies the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Applications (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As per responses to PQ Refs: 8896-17, 5148-17 & 12712-17, the person concerned has submitted an application for jobseeker’s benefit. Specific documentation was requested in order to assess entitlement to this benefit. This documentation is still outstanding and the application cannot be progressed. Upon receipt of the requested documentation/information a decision will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested (where available) by the deputy is detailed in the following table: Social Welfare claims by average waiting times and number of claims pending 28 February 2017 Scheme Average Waiting time to award (weeks) Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings Jobseeker's Benefit 1 17.9 20.2 Jobseeker's Allowance 2...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The report by the Court of Auditors relates to the overall implementation at the Union level of the EU Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee, rather than making findings about individual Member States. The Court did however visit seven Member States, including Ireland, to assemble material for its assessment. The report concludes that the “Member States visited had made progress in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for jobseeker’s allowance or benefit a customer must satisfy certain conditions including genuinely seeking work and being available for work. Customers who are genuinely seeking work must agree a personal progression plan with a case officer and avail of all reasonable employment and training opportunities offered to them. All customers must be in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Payments (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The BSCFA is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but to provide assistance towards these costs. The Government has provided €37.4 million for the scheme in 2017. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Turas Nua is one of two companies who have been contracted by my Department to provide the JobPath service to people who are long term unemployed. The main aim of the JobPath service is to place jobseekers into full time sustainable employment. During that time, the person receives intensive and personalised support and assistance to find suitable work. There is no restriction on any...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (12 Apr 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: Work Placement Programmes (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The activation supports and services which are available to those who are long-term unemployed include the JobPath employment activation service and work experience and training schemes such as Community Employment, CE, and Tús. The aim of the JobPath service is to assist participants in finding sustainable full-time paid employment. It is distinct from the Tús scheme which...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Places (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department does not refuse places on Community Employment schemes; the primary role of the Department in relation to the filling of vacancies is to check the person’s eligibility to participate. Once a person is deemed eligible it is the Sponsor’s responsibility to recruit the approved number of participants. It is not possible to say the number of Community Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Tús provides part-time temporary work in the communities, as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a long term jobseeker’s payment. However, Tús placements are not full-time sustainable jobs. Tús is designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the labour market....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Leave Scheme (12 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The paternity benefit scheme was introduced on 1 September 2016 and provides a benefit payment of €235 per week to cover two weeks paternity leave, to be taken within 26 weeks of the birth of the baby. The detail requested on the total number of claims awarded in 2016, covering the period from 1 September to year end, along with the expenditure on the scheme is set out in the...