Results 18,961-18,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Data (21 Mar 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. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua. To date, some 42,025 jobseekers have started their engagement period with Seetec. The figures per year are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (21 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 JobPath service procured by my Department provides additional resources to enable it to provide a high quality, case-managed employment support service...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Appeals (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, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The client concerned was first awarded rent supplement on 8thApril 1999 and remained in payment until May 2016. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Illness Benefit is payable in respect of incapacity for work due to illness. The person concerned was in receipt of Illness Benefit from 24 November 2014 to 7 July 2015. It came to the Department’s attention that the qualifying conditions for receipt of the benefit were not satisfied for some of this period. An overpayment was therefore assessed and a letter informing the person of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should note that it is very difficult to calculate the figure requested with accuracy. While it is relatively easy to estimate the potential increases in existing State Pension (contributory) payments, it is likely that there would also be costs arising from people who are currently on other payments (such as the State pension (non-contributory) or Increases for Qualified Adults)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: At the outset it is important to note that the Citizens Information Board (CIB) assures me that there will be no job losses, no closure of services, no change to service delivery locations and no change to the terms and conditions of serving staff during the lifetime of the restructuring programme. Most importantly, there will be no disruption to CIS and MABS services for those who use them....

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

Leo Varadkar: As a result of an appeals officer’s decision, the person concerned was awarded carer’s allowance (CA) on 6 March 2017 for a 2ndcare recipient. The first payment of CA at the higher rate of payment issued to her nominated post office on 16 March 2017. Any arrears of allowance due from 26 May 2016 to 15 March 2017 will issue shortly. The person concerned was notified on 6 March...

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

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned is in receipt of carer’s allowance (CA) at a reduced rate of payment since 10 December 2013. As her financial circumstances have changed from 30 September 2016 her claim was due for review. The review has been completed and she has been awarded an increased rate of payment of CA from 6 October 2016. The first increased payment will issue on 23 March 2017 and on a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy may be aware Section 3.1.1 Eligible Applicants of the CE Procedures Manual provides that "With effect from 3rd April 2000, lifetime participation on Community Employment by an individual will be limited to 3 cumulative years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age." The participant concerned is under 55 year of age and is therefore only eligible to a maximum total of three...

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550, 560, 562, 565, 572 to 574, inclusive, and 577 together. In Budget 2017, I was pleased to increase the rate of Back to Education Allowance for those on age-related reduced rates of payment to €193 per week. This change will come into effect from the academic year commencing in September. The cost of increasing the reduced weekly rates of...

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 552 together. The JobPath contract contains provision for early termination notwithstanding any dispute which may arise and which is covered elsewhere in the contract. Written notice must be served on the contractor 6 months in advance of a termination. The amount of compensation to be paid to the providers is stipulated in the contract, however,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has contracted for the provision of Local Employment Service (LES) in 26 locations with 22 different contractors via a network of offices and outreach clinics. Funding for the provision of the LES is not based on referral numbers, rather it is based on the ratio of clients per Mediator and the number of one to one meetings they are required to offer to each client. This...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Community Employment (CE) schemes 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 Department is also...

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

Leo Varadkar: The objective of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for farmers and fishermen. All participants must be actively engaged in farming or fishing. As the Deputy is aware, I have allocated an additional 500 places on the RSS, commencing in 2017. This is the first increase in places since 2006 and will expand the overall number of participants from 2,600 to 3,100. In...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (21 Mar 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. End...

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

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker’s transitional payment (JST) is available to lone parents (both former one-parent family payment recipients and new lone parents), who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years, inclusive. These customers are exempt from the jobseeker’s allowance conditions that require them to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. While it is a condition...

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

Leo Varadkar: Lone parents who wish to undertake a full-time third level education course can continue to receive income support from my Department irrespective of the age of the youngest child or whether or not they are in receipt of rent supplement. For those lone parents in receipt of the Jobseeker’s Transitional payment, without rent supplement, they may have access to both the SUSI...

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: One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure (21 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in my Department. Given the complex nature of the request, my Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.