Results 19,601-19,620 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that arrears of disability allowance due to this man issued by cheque on 12 January 2017. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Appeals (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10thNovember 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by my Department and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private providers i.e. companies delivering the JobPath, Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Club services. These providers act as agents of the Department for the purpose of delivering these services and we are subject to strict...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: 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. Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support from their personal adviser to help them tackle barriers to employment and to assist them in finding full-time sustainable jobs. One element...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 549 and 569 together. JobPath is an approach to the provision of employment services to jobseekers that are long-term unemployed. While engaging with the JobPath service participants are provided with a range of supports based on an assessment of individual needs which may include reasonable costs for travel and childcare. The JobPath providers will also...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A provisional budget of almost €125 million has been allocated for the scheme for 2017. My Department remains committed to ensuring that the social inclusion and community benefits that accrue from this scheme continue to be recognised and supported. With the ongoing welcome reduction in the Live Register, issues such the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Access to social insurance benefits is based on the payment of contributions in respect of contribution weeks. A contribution week is defined in social welfare legislation as “one of the successive periods of 7 consecutive days in a contribution year beginning on the first day of that contribution year, or on any 7th day after that day, the last day of a contribution year (or the last...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Pensions Act requires that trustees of pension schemes carry out the duties imposed on them by all law, including the Pensions Act. The management and day to day operation of a pension scheme is the sole responsibility of the trustees of that scheme. Similarly the manner of winding up a pension scheme is a matter for the trustees and all issues relating to the administration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The State pension (contributory) is one of the State pension schemes, and its rate of payment is related to contributions made over years into the Social Insurance Fund. There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied in order to qualify for a State pension (contributory). These include that the person must be aged 66 or over, and that they have at least 520 paid contributions,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes or living on social welfare payments. As part of its free services, MABS provides help and advice to those in mortgage arrears. The role of MABS was expanded in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Eligibility (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The purpose of the insolvency payments scheme is to protect certain outstanding pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. The scheme operates under the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act 1984, which, in turn, derives from EU Council Directive 987/80. The Act provides that where a person’s former employer is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Insolvency Payments Scheme Payments (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: 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 the scheme in 2017. This is a demand led scheme and there is no specific...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 559 and 560 together. The Department is aware there has been an increase in insurance premiums for community employment (CE) schemes in recent times. The main reasons cited for this by the insurance companies concerned is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, the Department recommends that schemes seek...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 561 and 562 together. My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. This includes programmes such as Community Employment (CE). As the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pensions (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years, which is the current State pension age. This will increase to 67 in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Surveys (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The independent customer satisfaction survey referred to by the Deputy was commissioned by my Department and will provide a qualitative evaluation of the standard of service provided by the JobPath contractors. The results of the survey have been received and they indicate a high level of satisfaction with the service. It is expected to publish the full results very shortly. I hope this...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 3 November 2016. 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: One-Parent Family Payment Payments (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Person concerned has been awarded One-Parent Family Payment at the weekly rate of €57.60 with effect from 7 July 2016. This rate is based on her Personal rate of €188 plus an additional payment of €59.60 in respect her two qualified children, from which weekly means of €190, derived from maintenance payments received, is deducted. She was formally...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (17 Jan 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department delivers the State’s employment activation service directly through the Intreo service and under contract arrangements with companies providing JobPath and Local Employment Services. Arising from the large increase in unemployment during the recession the Department of Social Protection required additional capacity to meaningfully engage with all those who are...