Results 6,461-6,480 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (27 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are the Pensions Board, the Citizens Information Board and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department. On 1 July 2009, the Combat Poverty Agency integrated with the Office for Social Inclusion within this Department to form the Social Inclusion Division. From...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 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 another source. Social welfare legislation provides the Health Service Executive with the authority to refuse, suspend or terminate payment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. There was a 46% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2009 when compared to 2008, which in itself...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I understand that the difficulties which have arisen in this case have arisen as a consequence of a change in practice introduced by FÁS in respect of persons in receipt of Disability Allowance who participate in part-time training courses funded by FÁS. These difficulties have recently come to light in my Department and I have arranged that the position in respect of those concerned will...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned has been refused mortgage interest supplement as, in the opinion of the HSE, he was not in a position to meet the repayments under the loan agreement at the time the mortgage agreement commenced. The HSE further advised that a formal decision letter will issue to the person concerned shortly.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a habitual residency condition (HRC) and a means test, has registered for employment, unless they have a physical or mental disability, and can prove...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The part-time job incentive (PTJI) was introduced on a pilot basis in 1986 and extended nationwide in 1988. PTJI is a weekly in-work income supplement which provides an allowance for people who are in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance, of more than 390 days, and employed on a part-time basis for up to 24 hours per week, provided they continue to make efforts to find full-time work....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. There was a 46% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2009 when compared to 2008, which in itself...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 2 October 2010 together with the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal. The appeal will be referred in due course to an Appeals Officer who will decide whether the case can be decided on a summary basis...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 1 October 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that payment of mortgage interest supplement in this case has not been refused, the payment is currently suspended on the basis that the person concerned has not yet provided the Executive with the information it requested. The HSE will make a decision on this person's entitlement to mortgage interest supplement when the information requested has...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (28 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The technical assistance and training scheme allows the Department of Social Protection to provide support to back to work enterprise allowance recipients who are engaging in self employment projects to enhance their chances of success to become independent of the social welfare system. This is a discretionary scheme and there is not an entitlement to the technical assistance and training...

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There was a 46% increase in the number of appeals received by the social welfare appeals office in 2009 when compared to 2008, which in itself was 27% greater than the number received in 2007. I am advised by the social welfare appeals office that as of 26 October 2010 20,936 cases are being processed through various stages of the appeals system, 10, 227 of which are receiving attention in...

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The following steps have been taken. Three additional officers were assigned to the office since January 2009. Additional staff have been assigned to the administrative area of the office. More emphasis is now being placed on dealing with appeals on a summary basis to increase productivity. A project to improve the business process in the office was undertaken which resulted in a number...

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I agree fully with the Deputy that we must process more appeals faster. We are doing that, and there has been a dramatic improvement this year. However, what has also happened is that the number of appeals has increased at the same time. While 43% of appeals had a successful outcome for the appellant, of the 8,697 favourable decisions in appeals cases, almost two thirds of those decisions...

Marriages of Convenience (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Marriages of convenience, or "sham marriages", are marriages which are entered into for the purpose of one of the parties gaining an automatic right of residency based on marriage to a person who already has a right of residency. These marriages exploit Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council which deals with the right of citizens of the Union and their family...

Marriages of Convenience (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: To deal with the first question the Deputy asked on the figures, it is not possible to state the number of marriages of convenience that have been solemnised in the State but it is recognised that this is a significant issue. What we do know is the number of marriages between EU and EEA nationals and non-nationals since 2008. In 2008 there were 2,292. In 2009 there were-----

Marriages of Convenience (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy was interested in the figures.

Marriages of Convenience (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The answer will elucidate what we are doing. In 2009-----

Marriages of Convenience (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In 2009 the figure is 3,362 and in 2010 to date-----