Results 19,061-19,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (7 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance schemes, where account is taken of the income and the value of capital, including shares, of the claimant and his or her spouse/ partner. When assessing a claimant’s (or the claimant’s spouse/partner’s) income from earnings, social welfare legislation provides for various payments to be deducted from gross...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Eligibility (7 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Child Benefit is currently paid to around 625,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2017. Child Benefit is a universal payment paid in respect of all qualified children, who are ordinarily resident in the State, from the first month of their birth up until their 16thbirthday. The Social Welfare Act does provide that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The telephone allowance was introduced at a time when telephones were expensive and a landline service, available only from one company, was the only option available to the customer. The market has changed considerably since the introduction of the allowance, with several companies providing a range of services and rates, and a range of bundled services including television, telephone and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (7 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: During the debate on the Social Welfare (SW) Bill 2016, I agreed that my Department would commission an independent report on the OFP reforms to examine the financial and social effects of the amendments to the scheme made since 1 January 2012, taking into account the poverty rates and welfare dependency of those impacted by the reforms. This is now in legislation. Under procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (7 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned received a letter from the Department under Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 Section 198 (3G)(a)(i)(1) as inserted by Section 54 (3) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, requesting them to apply to South Dublin County Council for social housing support which includes the housing assistance payment (HAP). All customers residing in a HAP area are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (7 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 23rdJanuary 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (2 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 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: Social Welfare Schemes (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: One of the initiatives announced as part of the Creative Ireland Programme which was launched by the Taoiseach in December was that the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in conjunction with my Department would devise a mechanism during 2017 to assist self-employed artists who have applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance. I have been in contact with my...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Under the new Private Rental Tenancies Legislation a landlord must give a minimum of 90 days written notice prior to increasing a tenant’s rent. The client concerned should submit to the Department an up to date Rent Supplement application form, lease agreement and verification of this 90 days’ notice confirming any increase in their monthly rent. On receipt of this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department has not, to date, received an application for Rent Supplement from the clients concerned. The client should forward an application to be assessed for entitlement to Rent Supplement to the Mid-Leinster Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Under the new Private Rental Tenancies Legislation a landlord must give a minimum of 90 days written notice prior to increasing a tenant’s rent. The client concerned should submit to the Department an up to date Rent Supplement application form, lease agreement and verification of this 90 days’ notice confirming any increase in their monthly rent. On receipt of this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No 985 of 16th February 2017, No 144 of 9th February 2016 and Parliamentary Question No 123 of 14th July 2016. The client concerned has not, to date, provided the Department with an up to date Rent Supplement application form confirming an increase to their monthly rent. On receipt of same, the client’s entitlement can be assessed. I trust...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Projects (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In 2015 My Department initiated a rolling, multi-annual evaluations programme, using econometric and qualitative methods, of 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: Programme for Government Initiatives (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has been working on the drafting of a strategy in line with commitments in Pathways to Work 2016-2020 and in the Programme for Government. In this preparation work DSP has consulted both with other relevant government Departments and with the Labour Market Council. I hope to bring a draft for consultation with government colleagues before the relevant Cabinet Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Payments (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned had been in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit and was requested to attend a scheduled activation meeting with her Case Officer at the local Intreo Centre on 15th February 2017. She failed to attend this meeting and, because she did not contact the office to explain her absence, she did not receive her payment. In order to have her payment issue resolved, the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy may not be aware that funding for the school meals scheme was increased this year, as part of Budget 2017, by an additional €5.7 million (almost 14% over the previous year’s allocation) which will benefit more than 50,000 children. I want to emphasise that recent reports suggesting that funding under this scheme has reduced is not the case. The school meals...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Legislative Process RIA (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) are undertaken by my Department in accordance with the relevant Department of the Taoiseach guidelines on significant legislative, policy and other changes. A Regulatory Impact Analysis is not ordinarily undertaken on the package of tax, welfare and other measures announced in the annual Budget Day Statements. As most of the Social Welfare Bills provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Legislative Process RIA (2 Mar 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) are undertaken by my Department in accordance with the relevant Department of the Taoiseach guidelines on significant legislative, policy and other changes. In recent years two RIAs have been published by my Department. One of these RIAs relates to amendments to the funding standard applying to defined benefit pension schemes, which were provided for in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 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 25 August 2016. 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: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (1 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 25 August 2016. 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...