Results 18,821-18,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homemakers Scheme (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. There are two State pensions. Firstly, the State pension (non-contributory) is a means tested pension and is funded by general taxation. Secondly, the State pension (contributory) is not means tested and is paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support over a period of up to 12 months to help them tackle barriers to employment and to find jobs. As part of the JobPath process each person is assigned a personal advisor who assesses their skills, qualifications and experience with a particular focus on identifying appropriate training and educational interventions in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rural social scheme (RSS) provides employment opportunities for low income farmers and fishermen who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen, participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills. In January last, in recognition of the significant...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (4 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: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (4 Apr 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.5 million for ENPs and urgent needs...

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The report is being done externally, so it is not yet ready for publication. I anticipate that it will be ready for publication within a matter of weeks. From recent information from the Central Statistics Office, the Deputy will know that unemployment is falling rapidly, particularly among young people. Youth unemployment is falling much faster than unemployment in general. Some of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (30 Mar 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (30 Mar 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 Community Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Social insurance benefits including jobseeker’s benefit are payments which are covered by pay related contributions. To qualify for jobseekers benefit, for example, a person must satisfy the conditionality for the scheme including the contribution conditions. They must have at least 104 weeks qualifying PRSI contributions paid since they first started work and 39 weeks qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13 March 2107. 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: Citizen Information Services (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the Citizens Information Services (CIS) decided, on 15th February 2017, to restructure the governance arrangements of these services. The decision was communicated by the Board of CIB to all CIS and MABS Boards and to all staff on the same day. The CIB assures me...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Data (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy (where available) is detailed in the following tabular statement. Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners Contributory pension recipients with total expenditure at 31 December in each of the years 2015 and 2016 2015 2016 Scheme Male Female Total Recipients Expenditure €000 Male Female Total Recipients Expenditure €000...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Widow's Pension Data (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to expenditure for this scheme is detailed in the following tabular statement. I regret that it is not currently possible to supply the requested breakdown of recipients. Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners Non Contributory Pension total expenditure at 31 December in each of the years 2015 and 2016 2015 2016 Scheme Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Data (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy (where available) is detailed in the following tabular statement. Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners claiming One-Parent Family Payment 2015 2016 Male Female Total Male Female Total Recipients on 31 December 25 207 235 35 211 246 One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure 2015 2016 Total Expenditure (€000) 670,564 500,699

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Data (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Death benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme. It is payable in the form of a pension to the widow, widower, surviving civil partner or orphan of an insured person who dies as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease or where the immediately before death, the deceased was in receipt of a disablement pension due to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The number of Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant recipients for 2015 and 2016, together with the scheme expenditure is set out in the following table. Recipients Year Male Female Total Expenditure €000 2015 296 752 1,048 5,771 2016 328 695 1,023 5,693** Provisional figure The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant www.welfare.ie. is a once-off payment to widows,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has advised me that the person in question is currently getting their social welfare payment directly into their building society account, so it should be possible for them to set up a direct debit facility with the building society in question (details provided). With the exception of the Personal Micro Credit scheme the Department does not facilitate direct deductions from...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disablement Benefit (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Disablement benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease. The person must have been in insurable employment at the time of the accident or the disease was contracted. Disablement benefit when awarded, may...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Rent Supplement application for the client concerned was disallowed on the grounds that she failed to provide relevant documentation that was required in order to establish an entitlement to Rent Supplement. The client has been advised of her right to appeal this decision, should she wish to do so. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (30 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance payment which comprises a full personal rate, an adult dependent rate and a dependent child rate for 3 dependent children who qualify for payment under the provisions of the schemes. Additionally the person concerned is in receipt of a fuel allowance. The person concerned has 2 other children who do not qualify as...