Results 5,201-5,220 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Public Service Cards: Public Service Cards (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Service Card (PSC) under the Standard Authentication Framework Environment, or SAFE, programme. The specification provides for identification features, including a photograph. The aim is to develop a card that acts as a key for access to public services in general,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 60 and 67 together. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, and not to act...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: During 2008, an interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with secretariat support provided by my Department, undertook work, including a public consultation process, to develop a National Carers' Strategy. However, because of the prevailing economic situation, it was not possible to set targets or time limits which could be achieved. In that context, rather than...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare expenditure for 2011, including expenditure on State pensions, will be considered in the context of next year's Budget preparations, having regard both to needs and to the resources available to meet those needs. As stated, in identifying possible savings I will seek to protect the vulnerable irrespective of age.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department's facilitators work with social welfare recipients of working age, including people in receipt of jobseekers payments, people parenting alone, people in receipt of disability welfare payments and people providing care, to promote participation and social inclusion. Facilitators help people to identify appropriate training or development programmes which will enhance the skills...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53, 72, 77, 80 and 81 together. The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time. A four-pronged control strategy has been adopted by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 76 together. The Department of Social Protection already assists low income households with heating costs through their basic payments, through the fuel allowance scheme and through the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The fuel allowance is paid for 32 weeks...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 58 and 73 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents", was published in 2006 and can be viewed at http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Policy/PolicyPublications/Families/ Documents/prop_lp.pdf. It put forward proposals for the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents, the extension...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme will be commenced in June and will be administered by the Department of Social Protection. Regulation pertaining to the scheme is in the final stages of preparation, as are details of scheme administration. The scheme will run for the calendar year 2010 only. However, any qualifying employment created in 2010 will be eligible for the scheme, which...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The money advisers throughout the country focus on providing assistance, advice and intense support to people who have financial difficulties. The money adviser works out a budget and negotiates on behalf of the client with all creditors, including financial institutions and sub-prime lenders, to secure better terms for the client in managing the repayment of their debts. Where required by...

Written Answers — Civil Registration Act: Civil Registration Act (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I appreciate that registration here of the deaths abroad of Irish citizens would be very significant to the relatives of the deceased and it is in this context that I have undertaken to review the existing provisions of the Civil Registration Act, 2004, in relation to this issue. There is a range of issues to be considered in relation to the scope and implementation of any proposed amendment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 64 and 68 together. There are currently just over 16,500 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, compared to 8,091 recipients in 2008. Expenditure for the year ending December 2009 was €60.7m; the estimate for 2010 is €63.9m. The mortgage interest supplement scheme is currently under review. The main purpose of this review is to examine how...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government is conscious that many lone parents will need access to education, training and enabling services such as childcare provision in order to acquire the skills they will need to gain employment. As outlined in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 400 of 18 May, 2010, there are a wide range of education and training opportunities available through my Department, the Department...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The recently published National Pensions Framework is the Government's plan for pension reform. It encompasses all aspects of pensions, including social welfare pensions, private occupational pensions and public sector pension reform. Development of the framework was informed by the range of views raised during the comprehensive consultation process which followed publication of the Green...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 295 together. The challenges facing the Irish pension system are significant. In particular, 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 is expected to decrease to less than two to one by 2050. Increasing State pension age is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 85 together. I have made available to the House two tables showing details of performance targets and average processing times for all schemes. Table 1 sets out the target performance standard and the performance achieved for each scheme in the month of April 2010 and the average number of weeks taken to process each claim type. Details of cases...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The schemes primary purpose is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Protection of Employees (Employer Insolvency) Act 1984 comes under the auspices of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. I understand that Section 7 of this Act provides for the payment, by that Minister, out of the Redundancy and Employers' Insolvency Fund, of the amount of unpaid pension contributions which should have been paid by the relevant employer in respect of a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare legislation does not currently provide for the reimbursement to the Department by insurance companies of social welfare payments deducted from awards of special damages in respect of loss of earnings. As data on the numbers of clients who hold private insurance or whose loss of income was covered through an insurance claim is not routinely collected by the Department, it is...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 82 together. The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice, and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services on behalf of the Department. Funding of some €45.8m has been allocated to the CIB in 2010. The Citizens Information Board administers funding to the network of 42 Citizen...