Results 6,521-6,540 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It still is the case. After the first six months, the figure tends to tail off. A person getting access to a third level course through the back to education scheme will be paid the equivalent of the jobseeker's allowance, a minimum of €10,000 a year, for the foreseeable future. That is an expensive commitment to make, so the best use of resources and money must be ensured. Until...

Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I cannot comment on the individual case in question. No matter where one draws the line when it comes to the cut-off criteria for allowances, there will be always someone on the wrong side of it. I accept it is difficult for the individuals affected but it is inherent in the whole social welfare system. Regarding the wider question of whether it should be easier to get on to the scheme, it...

Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No, that is a fundamental mistake made when assessing this scheme. For example, making a commitment to 100 people to do a five-year degree course would amount to €50,000 per person for the course's duration, €5 million in total. This must be compared to their chances-----

Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: -----which are very high, of getting jobs in the intervening period. As there is a finite amount of moneys available, it is important such a long-term burden is not placed on the State, particularly when it could mean others would be deprived of other welfare payments.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The purpose of rent supplement 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 scheme is intended as a temporary income support payment and is not designed to be a medium to long term housing support or a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 84 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 — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. These include the employment support schemes, the activation programme and the Department's role in the National Employment Action Plan. The Department also supports new activation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Question Nos. 55, 71 and 90 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 61, 67 and 83 together. Between 1997 and 2009, overall expenditure on Child Income Supports (Child Benefit, Family Income Supplement, Qualified Child Increases, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance) grew from just below €900 million to approximately €3.5 billion per year. Clearly social welfare spending and specifically Child Benefit, is a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Activation and support for those who are unemployed is a key priority for Government. Earlier this year, the Taoiseach announced a number of changes to improve the delivery of employment, training and community services to the public by bringing together related responsibilities in these areas. These changes included the restructuring of Departmental responsibilities with the objective of...

Written Answers — Marriages of Convenience: 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...

Written Answers — Public Services Card: Public Services Card (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 76, 95 and 96 together. The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Services 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 69 together. The determination of a person's habitual residence is made in accordance with Section 246 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. Subsection (4) specifically directs the deciding officer to "take into consideration all the circumstances of the case, including, in particular, the following: (a) the length and continuity of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The One-Parent Family Payment, by its nature, is not payable where the lone parent is cohabiting with the other parent of the child or with someone else as husband and wife. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents", which was published in 2006, proposed that the category of lone parenthood would be abolished. Instead, a parental allowance would be made to all...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The role of money advisers is to help clients to assess their financial situation, make a budget plan and deal with creditors. It is important that people coping with debt difficulties take early action and approach MABS for help and guidance. This can...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 74 together. There are approximately 18,000 persons currently in receipt of mortgage interest supplement (MIS). This represents a 120% increase since the end of 2008 when there were 8,100 recipients. The Department's review of the administrative, policy and legal aspects of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was published in July 2010 in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the research report of the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, titled "Minimum Essential Budgets for Six Household Types in Rural Areas" which was published in October 2010. The report has been furnished to my Department and is being studied by my officials. Social welfare expenditure for 2011 will be considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The number of interviews or consultations that a jobseeker will attend over the course of his or her claim will vary from person to person. Customers claiming jobseeker's allowance may have to be interviewed by an inspector at the beginning of their claim and at any subsequent review of their means. Once a customer is three months on the Live Register, he or she will be selected for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 100 together. There are currently some 27,228 people in receipt of a weekly Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment of which 3,074 are public servants. The number of serving members of the Permanent Defence Forces who are receiving family income supplement is included in the figure for Public Servants. A separate breakdown is not currently available.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 82 together. The Taoiseach announced on 23rd March 2010 that the Department of Social and Family Affairs would be reconfigured as the Department of Social Protection with the transfer to it of a number of functions including the employment and community services programmes of FÁS and the transfer from it of functions relating to social inclusion and...