Results 4,781-4,800 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 108 together. The challenges facing the Irish pension system are clearly outlined in the National Pensions Framework. In particular, it is noted that the task of financing increasing pension spending will fall to a diminishing share of the population. There are currently six workers for every pensioner and this ratio will decrease to less than two to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Persons who have moved from another EU Member State (including Northern Ireland or other parts of the UK) and who been employed since arrival in this State are protected by the EU Regulations on social security for migrant workers. Where necessary, contributions paid under the social security provisions in their previous State can be aggregated with Irish PRSI contributions to provide...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Spouses who are actively engaged in a commercial partnership, including the operation of a farm, as opposed to simply being the joint owners of a property, are treated as individual self-employed contributors and are thus liable to pay social insurance contributions. On foot of a Programme for Government commitment an information leaflet, 'Working with your spouse: how it affects your social...

Written Answers — Response to Industrial Action: Response to Industrial Action (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The overall response to the industrial action is being managed centrally by the Department of Finance with input from all Government Departments, including the Department, and other public service sectors. The industrial action is being closely monitored in the Department on a daily basis and the Department's management is maintaining contacts with the unions concerned to ensure, insofar as...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE) may award a travel supplement in any case where it appears to the Executive that the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client's own resources and are deemed to be...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Treatment Benefit Scheme offers assistance towards the cost of Optical and Dental Treatment and the provision of Hearing aids. The scheme is paid from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Although the SIF has operated a surplus since 1996, this position began to change last year, and expenditure had to be partially funded from the accumulated Exchequer surplus. It is estimated that, by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Since its introduction, the primary objective of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme is to help those in receipt of a social welfare payment to improve their employability and job-readiness by acquiring additional educational qualifications. It is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Treatment Benefit Scheme offers assistance towards the cost of Optical and Dental Treatment and the provision of Hearing aids. The scheme is paid from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Although the SIF has operated a surplus since 1996, this position began to change last year, and expenditure had to be partially funded from the accumulated Exchequer surplus. It is estimated that, by the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 112 together. The Social Inclusion Division of my Department is carrying out a detailed analysis of the impact of the entire Budget package, and not just the social welfare elements of it, using the SWITCH integrated tax and social welfare model developed by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). This will include an analysis of the impact...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 723 to 725, inclusive, 727 and 729 together. Details on claim volumes, claims pending, processing times, and backlogs (where they exist) for all schemes are detailed in Table 1 below. Details of average Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance claims pending and processing times by Social Welfare Local Office are detailed in Tables 2-4 below and...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the flooding from November 2009 onwards the Government set up a humanitarian assistance scheme to provide income tested financial support to people who have suffered damages to their homes not covered by insurance. An initial sum of €10million was set aside by the Government for this purpose....

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In general, PRSI contribution classes are decided by the nature of a persons employment and the amount of the employee's gross reckonable earnings in any week. PRSI Class A, the standard class paid by the majority of employees, encompasses people in industrial, commercial and service-type employment who are employed under a contract of service with gross earnings of €38 or more per week...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The reckonable earnings of employees for PRSI purposes are defined as earnings derived from insurable employment and insurable (occupational injuries) employment. This definition is clarified in regulations as relating, in most circumstances, to anything assessable to income tax under Schedule E of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. Under income tax rules, subject to certain limits, amounts...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: To qualify for treatment benefit you must satisfy certain PRSI conditions. A person aged 25 to 65 must have a total of 260 paid PRSI contributions since first starting work and either (i) 39 paid or credited PRSI contributions in the relevant tax year on which the claim is based OR (ii) 26 paid PRSI contributions in both the relevant tax year and the tax year immediately before the relevant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: An application for payment under the one parent family scheme for the person in question is currently with the Social Welfare Inspector for investigation and she will be notified of the outcome. However, due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy in relation to entitlements under the supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Social and Family Affairs assists social welfare recipients with heating costs both through their basic payments and through the fuel allowance and the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The household benefits package is payable throughout the year to almost 380,000 pensioners,...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Apr 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The person concerned was awarded credited social insurance contributions while she was in receipt of a back to education allowance for the period from 12 September, 2005 to 24 June, 2009.