Results 19,741-19,760 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The person concerned was awarded Family Income Supplement (FIS) from 11 February 2016 to 8 February 2017. The rules governing the payment of FIS state that once granted, it is payable at the same rate for a 52 week period as long as the underlying employment conditions are satisfied regardless of a change in circumstances. There are only two exceptions to this rule which are set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen and women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen, participants also have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Payments (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The gentleman referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 13 October 2016. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on the 05 January 2017. Any arrears due from 13 October 2016 to 04 January 2017 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. He was notified of this decision on the 08 December 2016. ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 22 November 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 2 June 2016 in respect of two care recipients. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Since taking office as Minister for Social Protection there has only been two occasions organised by the Department whereby photography services where used at an event that I attended as Minister. Photography services are used on occasion, in conjunction with some press releases and conferences, to communicate the Department’s initiatives, schemes and services to customers and to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Consultancy Contracts Data (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table: Reports commissioned by Department of Social Protection since March 2011 (PQ 39492/16) Report Name of Consultants Commissioned Publication Date Cost € 2011 Social Welfare  Appeals Office – Research on Insurability Issues & Access to Legal Resources Mel Cousins & Associates...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Relations Contracts Data (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection on 6 May this year, my Department has not employed any external public relations firms. It is the policy of the Department of Social Protection that its Press Office deals with all media queries and public relations matters. My Department’s policy is to use in-house resources as much as possible and to restrict the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is conscious of the valuable contribution employment schemes, such as Community Employment (CE), are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland. As the Deputy is aware, these schemes provide a very important and valued contribution to social employment, training and progression to employment and further education for unemployed people....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The aim of the community employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. My Department is also very conscious of the valuable contribution the schemes are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland. The number of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These include programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús. As the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The latest figures from the Pensions Authority show that the number of Defined Benefit schemes subject to the funding standard is 681. Within this group there are 184 schemes in deficit that are subject to the funding standard. The total combined deficit of these schemes is€3.049 billion.It is the responsibility of the trustees of a pension scheme to ensure compliance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for a jobseeker payment, a person must meet certain conditions, including that they are unemployed and are available for, capable of and genuinely seeking full-time work. In addition to providing this income support the Department also provides employment services and supports to unemployed jobseekers and expects jobseekers who are in receipt of a payment to engage with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Ministerial Correspondence (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I want to advise the Deputy that I have a private e-mail account for personal and party business. I do not use it for Departmental business. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be fully aware the school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations at a cost of €42 million in 2016. There are two schemes operated under the school meals programme. The first is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance Administration (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 298 together. Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently 3,400 in receipt of the diet supplement. Following...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Dietary Allowance Applications (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: As part of an annual review of Diet Allowance payment, requests was issued to the person concerned to submit completed documentation on 8 February 2016 and 2 March 2016. Despite a further request on 7 April 2016 the requested documentation remained outstanding and the Diet Allowance payment was suspended on 21 July 2016. On 9 December 2016 a letter together with the necessary forms was...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Payments (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The figures provided in the answer to the relevant parliamentary question were obtained from my department’s Activation Case Management (ACM) computer system. The ACM system replaced the former FAS Client Services System (CSS) on a phased basis during 2015. The figures provided represent the number of referred clients who were on the case-load of the Local Employment Services (LES)...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (13 Dec 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 27 July 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...