Results 6,541-6,560 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: My Department operates a range of means tested schemes and these schemes, including the means testing elements, are administered through a network of local offices, central offices and, in the case of supplementary welfare allowance, through the offices of community welfare officers. My Department is not currently considering the centralising of means testing of social welfare payments....

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department processes in excess of two million claims each year and it makes payments to over one million people every week. It is important to emphasise that the vast majority of people are receiving the entitlement due to them. The Department has a broad-ranging and comprehensive control strategy, which aims to keep fraud and abuse to a minimum. The emphasis is to minimise risks of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 81 together. Under the Pensions Act, defined benefit pension schemes must meet a minimum Funding Standard which requires that schemes maintain sufficient assets to enable them discharge their accrued liabilities in the event of the scheme winding up. Where schemes do not satisfy the Funding Standard, the sponsors/trustees must submit a funding proposal...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income 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. Rent supplement is not payable where a person or their spouse or partner is in full-time employment, that is for 30...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government is currently examining ways of providing further support to graduate retention in the economy, with policy matters in this area being primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Education and Skills. The main existing employment support mechanism for graduates is the work placement programme administered by FÁS. A key element of the programme is that the customer retains...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department. The purpose of the rent...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 91 and 357 together. The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. To this end, operational processes and procedures and the organisation of work are reviewed in all areas of the Department. These reviews are supported by modern technology, the potential of which is continuously harnessed. Claims are processed in...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare legislation does not currently provide for reimbursement to the Department by insurance companies in cases where adjustments may have been made to special damages awards on foot of social welfare payments received by plaintiffs. Preliminary work has been undertaken by my Department in relation to the issues involved. These issues are complex, not least insofar as there could...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in receipt of a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 93 together. Social welfare expenditure for 2011, including expenditure on State pensions, will be considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget, having regard both to needs and to the resources available to meet those needs. In an uncertain economic environment, my priority will be to ensure that the Government strategy to stabilise the...

Written Answers — Departmental Information Services: Departmental Information Services (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The primary objective of the Department's information policy is to ensure that all customers are made aware of the wide range of schemes and services available and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements as they occur. The Department operates a network of some 125 local and branch offices throughout the country. Each local office has officers who are dedicated to providing...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Between 1994 and 2008 social welfare pensions increased by 148% while the Consumer Price Index for this period increased by 51%. Increases in the State pension (contributory) have brought the personal rate of pension to a maximum weekly rate up to €230.30 per week. A pensioner couple would be eligible for a weekly income of €436.60. These pension increases demonstrate the significant...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 99 and 103 together. 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...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: Where a person is not satisfied with a decision in relation to their entitlement to Supplementary Welfare Allowance, they have a right of appeal in accordance with the terms of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. This provides for the appeal to be considered by an Appeals Officer within the HSE. However, where this appeal is unsuccessful, the appellant can make a further appeal to...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: With effect from 19th July 2010, changes have been introduced to BTEA to increase flexibility in terms of accessing the scheme. The period for which a person is required to be on a qualifying social welfare payment before accessing BTEA was reduced from 12 months to 9 months (a 2 year qualifying period continues to apply to participants coming from Illness Benefit). People who are...

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) is a free, independent and confidential service which assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. MABS promotes the importance of people coping with debt difficulties taking early action with their creditors and approaching MABS for help and guidance. This can be the first positive step for people...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: Self-employed people pay PRSI class S contributions which provide 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 jobseekers and illness benefits. PRSI coverage is related to the risks...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme has been promoted through a number of channels. Information on the scheme is available on the Department's website at www.welfare.ie and also on the FAS website. The main information web page on this scheme on the Department's website was viewed 9,709 times between the 21st June and 22nd October 2010. There has also been a number of press releases...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The information requested is set out in the table below. Annual Reports and accounts for the Citizen's Information Board, Pobal, the Pensions Board and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman when published are placed in the Dáil Library. This is also the case for the statutory accounts of the Social Insurance Fund. Figures for 2010 are provisional and subject to audit by the Office of the...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was received on 30th September 2010. This application together with medical reports has been forwarded to one of the Department's Medical Assessors for their medical opinion on the case. Upon receipt of this opinion a decision will issue to the customer. Currently it takes DCA section eight weeks to process an application.