Results 19,381-19,400 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (7 Feb 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 have been received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Benefit Applications (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 5 August 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) 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 attempted to arrange a meeting with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (7 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The programme assists participants to enhance and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am very much aware of the public concern highlighted by the recent publicity surrounding defined benefit schemes. The provision of occupational pensions in this country is on a voluntary basis and depends on the willingness of employers to contribute to, and maintain schemes for their employees. Traditionally, many such schemes were organised on a defined benefit basis. However, in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register, and in particular the long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register, including young people. To date,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities within their communities. CE participants are required to work 19.5 hours on a weekly basis. Current eligibility to participate on CE is linked to a person’s social welfare status (duration of payment) and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (2 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. In recognition of the ongoing housing supply difficulties, my Department continues to implement a targeted case-by-case policy approach that allows for flexibility where...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: All jobseekers are required to engage with the Department’s activation service and this obligation applies irrespective of whether the service is provided by the Department’s own case officers or those advisors employed by JobPath. JobPath is one of a range of activation supports, including schemes such as Community Employment (CE), catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers....

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

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 January 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: Community Employment Schemes Places (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) aims to help the long-term unemployed to re-enter the workforce by breaking their cycle of unemployment through a return to a regular work routine. To this end, CE also provides training and development to participants. With the ongoing welcome reduction in the Live Register, issues such the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Services Card Provision (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. A PSC is currently issued following a registration process which involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the...

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

Leo Varadkar: Core to the Programme for Government is improving the position of the self-employed generally, including the commitment to introduce an enhanced PRSI scheme for the self-employed. Making progress on this commitment has been one of my key priorities since becoming Minister in this Department. On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a number of important measures which will benefit the...

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

Leo Varadkar: The jobseeker's benefit scheme provides income support for people who lose work and who have the required number of qualifying social insurance contributions. The 2017 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure on jobseeker’s benefit of €343 million. The PRSI contribution classes that count towards qualifying for jobseekers benefit are PRSI Class A, H and P....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer must be resident in the State and can only leave the State on holidays for 3 weeks in any calendar year. It is a further condition for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Payment of jobseeker’s allowance in the case of the client concerned was suspended due to concerns regarding address. As the client provided proof of address and evidence to the Social Welfare Inspector her payment suspension has been lifted. The client concerned has been requested to provide up to date documentation relating to her rent supplement claim. On receipt of same, her...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned first received child benefit in respect of her eldest children from June 2001, the month after her arrival in the State. Payment in respect of her next two children commenced in each case from the month following their birth. In May 2016, a claim was received in respect of two additional children; who were born in 2011 and 2013. No reference had been made to these...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 108 of 26th January 2017, the client concerned was requested to provide documentation on 6/1/17 and 24/1/17 relating to the financial settlement received from the sale of the former family home. The requested documentation has not, to date, been received by the Department. As also detailed in that response, Rent Supplement is a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned has received financial assistance on three occasions from the Department in relation to housing relocation, furniture and appliance needs, the latest being the 9 August, 2016. According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has not submitted a recent application for financial assistance towards the cost of housing relocation. It is open to the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (2 Feb 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was previously approved for Back to Education Allowance in July, 2014. Following a review of her claim in November 2016, it was discovered that the person concerned dropped out of their course and was no longer entitled to a BTEA payment. The child of the person concerned is now over 7 years old and under the guidelines for a One Parent Family payment (OFP) when the...