Results 19,261-19,280 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Paternity Leave (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The commencement of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 created an entitlement to two weeks’ paternity leave from employment in relation to children born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016. The commencement of the Act also created a new associated social welfare scheme of paternity benefit from 1 September 2016. Paternity Benefit is paid at the same rate as maternity benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy relating to appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2005 on the question of Habitual Residence is set out in the following table. I am advised by the Chief Appeals Officer that it is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures between Irish citizens and non-Irish nationals as this information is not captured on the Appeals...

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

Leo Varadkar: My department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 14 April 2016. It is a condition for receipt of CA that where the care recipient is younger than 16 years of age, domiciliary care allowance (DCA) must be in payment in respect of them. As DCA was not in payment in respect of the carer recipient on this application for CA, the application was...

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

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 7thDecember 2016. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. If you require any further assistance with this query please do not hesitate to contact my office. I hope this clarifies the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment Data (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. One-Parent Family Payment claims rejected 1 February 2016 to 31 January 2017 February 299 March 237 April 251 May 206 June 202 July 225 August 217 September 214 October 219 November 309 December 143 January 186 Total 2,708

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy was previously supplied on 24th January 2017 in a reply to PQ ref no. 3227/17. The text of that reply is set out below. The following tables provide the details which have been requested by the Deputy in respect of 2015 and 2016. The schemes with the highest number of appeals to the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2015 and 2016 were - disability...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 13.5% (27,500 persons) in January 2017 estimated by the CSO, as compared to 18.1% (33,800) persons in January 2016 and a peak of over 31% (70,600 persons) in 2012. While systemised data is not readily available on employment outcomes on all...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Welfare Services Provision (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In Co. Kildare, the restructured Community Welfare Service which was formerly available two mornings per week at walk-in clinics is now available at all times through initial telephone contact, which means the service can be delivered without the need to attend a clinic. Telephone calls are followed by appointments or home visit if necessary, or application by post for non-urgent claims....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Benefits Data (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. - Jobseeker’s Allowance - Jobseeker’s Benefit - Total Jobseeker's Allowance + Benefit - Year Recipients Change year-on-year Recipients Change year-on-year Recipients Change year-on-year Jan-14 11,839 - 2,411 - 14,250 Jan-15 10,977 -7.30% 2,172 9.90% 13,149 -7.7% Jan-16 10,385 -5.40% 1,919 11.60%...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined from 2014 to 2016 broken down by all social welfare scheme types is outlined in the following tables. As the Deputy will be aware, appeal processing times are kept under constant scrutiny by the Chief Appeals Officer and significant effort and resources have been devoted in recent years to reducing the length of time taken to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Over €19 billion was spent by my Department on its various income supports and other programmes in 2016. The number of applications awaiting decision and the average time to award for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The main social welfare schemes offered by my Department for unemployed persons are the jobseeker’s allowance and benefit schemes. Both the jobseeker’s benefit and the jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide significant support to unemployed persons so that they can work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced jobseeker’s payment. In addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Live Register Data (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The official measure of unemployment is sourced from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). Measures of unemployment from the QNHS are based on International Labour Office (ILO) definitions. To be ‘ILO unemployed’ a person must in the week before the survey be without work but available for work and have recently taken specific job-search steps. The Live Register,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: EU Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Social Protection may receive funding from the European Commission through several different funding streams. These include the European Globalisation Fund (EGF), the European Social Fund (ESF)/Youth Employment Initiative, and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). These funds each operate on different timelines and have different rules and procedures. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department administers a scheme of grants for the development and promotion of information and welfare rights, and the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) received funding under this scheme in 2015 and 2016. The funding amounted to €255,600 in each of the years 2015 and 2016: Organisation 2015 - € 2016 - € INOU 255,600 255,600

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Relocation (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 to 156, inclusive, together. The temporary clerical officers in the Department’s offices in Carrick-on-Shannon mentioned by the Deputy were recruited to facilitate specific project work on a temporary basis and therefore the question of filling these posts by way of transfer of permanent staff does not arise. The Department facilitates...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Appeals (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 10 August 2015. As a result of an appeals officer’s decision, the application was awarded to the person concerned on 15 February 2017 and the first payment will issue to her nominated post office on 23 February2017. Arrears for the period 13 August 2015 to 22 February 2017 will issue shortly. The...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 47,100 tenants for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 and the Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: While TÚS and CE schemes are intended to help long-term unemployed people re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through placement on a work experience or training programme for a limited duration; they are not full-time sustainable jobs. The person concerned has completed a TÚS placement and is now with the JobPath service, which is providing...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (16 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer’s allowance (CA) was awarded to the person concerned from 5 August 1999 to provide full-time care and attention to her parents. She was awarded a reduced rate due to her husband’s earnings from employment. When her late father died in October 1999, her CA should have ceased as her means were in excess of the statutory limit for a person caring for one care recipient. Due...