Results 5,661-5,680 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Budget 2009, announced in October 2008, provided for increases of between 3% and 3.8% in weekly welfare rates of payment. At that time, it was expected that inflation for 2009 would be 2.5%. However, in 2009, prices declined by an average of 4.5%. Budget 2010 provided for reductions in weekly welfare rates of between 3.5% and 4.2% for persons of working age. I fully appreciate that changes...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The money advisers working with MABS companies 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 clients in managing the repayment of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Pensions Board is a regulatory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection. The statutory role of the Board is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act 1990. This involves the regulation of occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and the provision of advice to the Minister for Social Protection on pension matters...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: "Whistleblowing" is usually interpreted to mean the reporting in good faith of a breach or potential breach of the law and the protection of the person concerned against penalisation by the entity about which the report has been made. In the context of social welfare, the Central Control Section of the Department accepts reports of possible fraud offered by members of the public in relation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In order to qualify for jobseeker's allowance, a person must satisfy certain conditions, including being available for and genuinely seeking work. In determining whether a customer has refused an offer of suitable employment, Deciding Officers of the Department have regard to these availability and genuinely seeking work conditions particularly. The steps which people are expected to take...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: 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 one of the ways in which we can sustain the pensions...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The determination of a person's habitual residence is made in accordance with Section 246 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. The most recent amendment was introduced by Section 15 of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2009 which provided that only persons who have a right to reside in Ireland can be regarded as being habitually resident in the State. ...

Written Answers — National Carer's Strategy: National Carer's Strategy (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In response to a commitment given in the Towards 2016 partnership agreement, the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2008 commissioned Dr Allyn Fives and colleagues from the Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Galway, to carry out a study on young carers. The research took place during 2009 and a final draft was presented to the Minister for Health...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There have been no changes to the criteria for qualification in respect of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) , the respite care grant (RCG) or the carer's allowance (CA). The DCA scheme transferred from the HSE to this Department, under the CORE functions initiative to reallocate certain functions between Departments and Agencies. This transfer took place in two stages. From April 2009...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The system of allocating financial support in the event of extreme weather conditions is already formalised. Financial support for people who have suffered as a result of an emergency event, including extreme weather events is normally addressed through the exceptional and urgent needs payment provisions of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Under the legislation governing the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Renewed Programme for Government, published in October 2009, contains a commitment to introduce legal recognition of the acquired gender of transsexuals. An interdepartmental committee has been established with the following terms of reference:- "To advise the Minister for Social Protection on the legislation required to provide for legal recognition by the State of the acquired gender...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 446 together. The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made a range of recommendations in relation to my Department. These recommendations are outlined in the table below along with the current status of each recommendation. This forthcoming Budget process will have regard, amongst other issues, to the outstanding...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (29 Jun 2010)

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

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The back to education scheme covers courses of education from second level to higher diploma level in any discipline [level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)] and to a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary and Secondary Teaching; level 9 in NFQ). BTEA will not be approved if a person holds a qualification equivalent or higher than the qualification for which the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Self-employed people pay PRSI Class S contributions which provides cover for long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widows/widowers pension (contributory). Employees are covered by PRSI classes A, E, H and P, which provide cover for the above benefits as well as for short-term contingencies such as jobseeker's and illness benefits. PRSI coverage is related to the risks...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Disability Allowance is a means tested payment and any income earned by the claimant or his/her spouse or partner, is assessable as means. There is, however, provision under social welfare legislation to give certain disregards of earnings received by the person from employment or self employment of a rehabilitative nature. The first €120 of earnings is disregarded, half of earnings between...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Treatment Benefit is a PRSI based scheme offering assistance towards the cost of Dental, Optical and Medical & Surgical (hearing aids) treatment for qualified patients. Legislation introduced in April 2005 allowed persons eligible for Treatment Benefits to have their treatment carried out elsewhere in the EU. Any applicant for Treatment Benefit (EU) must contact the Treatment Benefit Office...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The staff actions that prevented me from answering certain Parliamentary Questions over the last number of weeks have now been resolved. However, in the time frame available, I regret that my Department is not in a position to reply to this question. My Department will be in contact with the Deputy over the coming days and will reply in full to the question raised.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The staff actions that prevented me from answering certain Parliamentary Questions over the last number of weeks have now been resolved. However, in the time frame available, I regret that my Department is not in a position to reply to this question. My Department will be in contact with the Deputy over the coming days and will reply in full to the question raised.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive has advised that rent supplement was refused as the person in question did not satisfy the habitual residency condition. This person was then afforded the right of appeal. The Executive further advised that the Appeals Officer overturned the decision of the Executive as he was satisfied that on the basis of the information provided, all of the conditions for the...