Results 18,941-18,960 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. I can confirm that remuneration, in the form of board fees, is not paid to any public servant on the boards of these bodies.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Payments (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for FIS the person concerned must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for at least 38 hours per fortnight (19 hours per week). It is a further condition for the receipt of FIS that claimants cannot claim Jobseekers Benefit (JB) and FIS concurrently. The person concerned was awarded Family Income Supplement (FIS) from 2ndJune, 2016 to 31stMay,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 November 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 3 January 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. The SWI has requested a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Data (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 to 511, inclusive, and 540 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Motor Insurance (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: If a person uses their vehicle for work purposes they are obliged to inform their insurance company. This situation is no different for participants of Community Employment (CE) schemes who are employees of CE Scheme Sponsors. It is the responsibility of the CE participant to inform their motor insurers if they are using their car for business purposes and have their car insurance policy...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection delivers its services in County Monaghan through our network of offices including Branch Offices, Community Welfare Clinics, Activation Services, Social Welfare Inspectorate Services, Community Employment Services, Local Employment Services (LES) and the JobPath Programme. Provision of information and access to income supports is provided by the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 514 and 515 together. There are currently 320 Temporary Clerical Officers (TCOs) employed in the Department. Temporary clerical staff are recruited to cover absences of permanent staff on maternity leave, long term sick leave, other statutory leave and also to provide cover for some staff availing of the Shorter Working Year scheme. They are also recruited...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s benefit (CARB) can be paid to a person for a maximum of 104 weeks for each care recipient. CARB was paid to the person concerned for 59 weeks from 17 December 2015 to 1 February 2017 for the full-time care and attention he provides for his wife. He has applied to extend payment of CARB from 2 February 2017. Additional employment information was requested by letter on 31...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Scheme (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently just under 70,000 jobseekers availing of the JobPath service. 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. The JobPath service is designed to augment and complement the Department’s existing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Scheme (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The overall reaction to JobPath has been very positive. To date 82,798 Jobseekers have been referred to the service, with 215 complaints received in total – one quarter of one per cent. 163 complaints have been responded to and are now closed. 52 are in progress. The total number of complaints for Seetec is 81. The nature of these complaints is as follows: Customer Service 43;...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In 2015 My Department initiated a rolling multi-annual evaluations programme, using econometric and qualitative methods, of the Pathways to Work programme and process reforms. This includes large-scale annual customer satisfaction surveys. It draws upon an episodic administrative database, the Jobseekers’ Longitudinal Database (JLD), capturing jobseekers spells of unemployment and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As announced in Budget 2017, I am pleased to confirm that access to the dental and optical benefit schemes will be extended to the self-employed from March and that certain treatments will be re-introduced to the Dental and Optical schemes later this year. The dental scheme will have an annual scale and polish treatment and protracted periodontal treatment, where this is clinically...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for One Parent Family Payment (OFP) dated 23rdFebruary 2017 was received from the person concerned on 9thMarch 2017. A letter dated 9thMarch 2017 issued to the client requesting copy of bank statement and details of maintenance payments. On receipt of this information a decision will be made on the OFP application. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. If you...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Mar 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (21 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 6thMarch 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: Child Benefit Data (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 627,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for jobseeker’s allowance in respect of the person concerned has been awarded and the first payment is available for collection at his nominated post office on 21 March 2017. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for jobseeker’s allowance in respect of the person concerned has been awarded and the first payment will be available for collection at his nominated post office on 21 March 2017. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: JobPath is a payment by results model and all initial costs are borne by the companies. In 2015 payments to the JobPath companies amounted to €1.2m and in 2016, €25.2m. It is not intended to publish the individual payments to the JobPath companies as these are commercially sensitive and to do so would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts now in place...