Results 18,661-18,680 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The maternity and paternity benefit schemes both provide financial assistance to parents of newly born babies, including those born prematurely. The personal rate of payment is €235 per week. Additional allowances may be paid for adult and child dependents. is a 26 week payment for employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. A...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The aim of the JobPath service, which is provided for jobseekers only, is to assist them in finding sustainable full time paid employment. Each person referred to the JobPath service is allocated a personal advisor who provides intensive individual support and assistance. When a jobseeker with JobPath finds employment, they will be supported by the JobPath Company for at least the first 13...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The 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 over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 877,000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 393 together. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting some 44,800 recipients for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. Statistics are not generally maintained for those exiting the rent supplement scheme, however I can assure the Deputies that every effort...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A jobseeker’s payment is conditional on a person seeking employment and being willing to take up suitable employment. To satisfy this condition, it is necessary for a person to take positive action and make genuine efforts to secure employment. Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help them tackle barriers to employment and to assist them in finding...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of Community Employment (CE) schemes is to provide 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 of social welfare payments. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Data Protection (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Public Representatives may seek information from the JobPath service providers on behalf of an individual with that individual’s consent. The process to be followed by the provider in this instance is set out in the Data Protection Protocol issued to the service providers as part of the contract documentation. This process includes establishing that an inquirer is a public...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently 3,300 in receipt of the diet supplement of diet supplement at a cost of €4.6 million in 2017. Following...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (11 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 27 February 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: Carer's Allowance Appeals (11 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 23 February 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: Rural Social Scheme (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rural social scheme (RSS) is an income support scheme which provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and underemployed in their primary occupation. As part of the social welfare budget package for 2017, I announced an additional 500 places on the RSS. These places...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department introduced a new Community Employment (CE) childcare strand in 2013 under which there is a dedicated childcare training programme leading to a major award at QQI Level 5 for CE participants who work directly with children. The QQI Major Level 5 Award is the entry-level requirement to work as a basic practitioner in childcare. This has led to rationalised entry requirements,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A training grant is allocated to Community Employment schemes in respect of all approved places on a “per-place, per annum” basis. Training is identified in accordance with a tailored individual learning plan (ILP) compiled by the CE supervisor with the participant, given the participant’s training needs and employment goals. Any proposed training that exceeds the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy may be aware that under Budget 2017 every Community Employment (CE) participant received an extra €5 per week with effect from 13 March 2017 and those in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult also received an additional €3.30 or €2.10 depending on the individual circumstances. There are no plans to provide further increases to CE participants at this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Activation supports are provided for customers of my Department who are in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment. The activation services and schemes are provided directly by the Intreo Case Officers; by private companies such as the JobPath companies, the Local Employment Services and Job Clubs or through Community Employment Schemes such as CE and Tús. The aim of activation is to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Schemes (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Jobseekers can only participate with one activation scheme or service at a time; this is to ensure that the scheme and service providers have sufficient time to work with the participants and also that the best use is made of the available places. In general jobseekers are not transferred to Community Employment (CE) once they are referred to JobPath. However, jobseekers who on the date...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In 2016 LES providers were asked to increase the frequency with which they engage with jobseekers to enhance the quality of the services they provide. To facilitate this more intensive engagement, caseloads were reduced. The number of local employment service mediators also increased from (circa) 163 in 2015 to (circa) 170 in 2017 and there is no plan to replace them. Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned made an application for supplementary welfare allowance and one-parent family payment both of which were disallowed. Correspondence received from the person concerned was treated as an appeal for both schemes. The supplementary welfare allowance appeal submission has been prepared by the designated person administering the supplementary welfare allowance scheme and is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Some elements of the programmes that contribute to Ireland’s response to the EU recommendation on a youth guarantee are part-funded by the EU’s Youth Employment Initiative (YEI). Management of Ireland’s European Social Fund (ESF) Operational Programme, which includes the YEI, is carried out by the ESF Managing Authority, within the Department of Education and Skills. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Schemes (11 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, Gateway is a work scheme which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than 24 months while, at the same time, carrying out beneficial work identified by Local Authorities. Gateway participants work for an average of 19½ hours a week and placements last for 22 months and cannot be extended. My Department has no...