Results 5,741-5,760 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will deal with each of the five paragraphs in Deputy Shortall's amendment. On the insurance company issue, I gave an undertaking on Committee Stage to begin the process of consultation on the question of requiring insurance companies to compensate the Minister for illness or disability payments where they have admitted liability and where the value of social welfare entitlements are...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There is no proposal before us to do anything other than produce more reports. With regard to the proposal in paragraph (e), we are only weeks away from having a report completed and published. With regard to the proposals in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d), a much more comprehensive look at the whole PRSI regime is being undertaken at present. It is not true to say we find excuses not to hit...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We discussed this previously. I have been advised that the Courts Service is an independent body established under statute with five functions, namely, to manage the courts, provide support services for the judges, provide information on the courts system to the public, provide, manage and maintain court buildings and provide facilities for uses of the courts. Family law is administered in...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I wish I could get information because the more information circulating between State services the better. Data matching can be a very useful tool in avoiding duplication of claims, fraud and so on. There may be very serious issues regarding data protection in this situation. I will look at it. The idea is a good and convenient one and the finances of the State could be protected....

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Law Reform Commission issued a discussion document in September 2009 on legal aspects of family relationships which included the issue of registration of a father's particulars. It has invited submissions from interested parties and will issue recommendations in a further report which is not expected to issue before autumn of this year. The provisions contained in the amendment are...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: On the face of it I have no difficulty. I have not done very much study of this and perhaps there are overriding issues that will come forward when the Law Reform Commission reports as to why this should not be done. Perhaps even the Deputy may find she will change her mind. There are two issues involved, as raised by the Deputy, namely, the right of a child to know who its father was or...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I certainly intend to review the operation of the rent supplement scheme and any actions that can be speedily taken in that respect will be taken. We must bear in mind that it is a temporary, short-term scheme; it is not a temporary measure in terms of the scheme being temporary but it is meant to be a short-term arrangement for the tenant.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That is one of the issues I intend to examine. Rent supplement, by its nature, should be a measure that would not extend beyond 18 months, and I am examining that issue. Rent supplement is an assistance to tenants who rent private accommodation and the fundamental relationship is between the tenant and the landlord; the HSE is not tenant in such cases. I agree in principle with the point...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We are not placing rent supplement recipients in an unworkable and vulnerable position. The Department will continue to co-operate with any initiatives taken by the PRTB to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act. It seems that the best way to address this issue is to ensure that the PRTB is in a position to enforce the law vigorously and that it is aware of...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I do not propose to accept the amendment. Overpayments by the Department are recovered either through repayments by the customer or from the deceased customer's estate or else by deduction from a subsequent social welfare payment. The existing system is fair enough. The Fines Bill 2009 deals with the issue of fines, which is a totally separate matter. In 2008 net overpayments amounted to...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That issue has been dealt with in the Fines Bill 2009.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is not quite as simple as Deputy Crawford has suggested. Deduction from current entitlements will continue and will be extended as far as possible. However, due to the financial circumstances of many of our customers, the written consent of the claimant is required in cases where deductions from current entitlements would bring his or her payment below the appropriate rate of...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It would be great if prisons were home only to those who have not paid fines, because that would mean there are no criminals posing a threat to society. Unfortunately, the reality is that our prisons are full of those who are a threat to society.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: If one takes prison days out of total population, the percentage is very small. Section 15(1) of the Fines Bill 2009 states: If, upon the application of a person on whom a court has imposed a fine, the court is satisfied that to require the person to pay the fine in full by the due date for payment would cause undue financial hardship to the person or his or her dependants, the court may...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: People who know me from my last Department are aware of the importance to me of efficient administration, along with speedy decision making. I assure Deputies that everything that can be done will be done to ensure we have the fastest possible processes that are transparent and encourage people to give us what we need. I am looking at these issues and will try to ensure that we have rapid...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: These will be laid before the Oireachtas for 21 sitting days after they are signed. One solution is to debate them in the committee. I remember when I introduced regulations for the Official Languages Act that we brought them to the committee where we had a good debate on them.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: They are approved by the Dáil after 21 sitting days. They normally form part of a motion that is approved. My suggestion is that they be debated by the committee during that period.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: This is standard procedure.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It will be the exact same thing.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I know that but the payment will be the same.