Results 6,561-6,580 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 to 362, inclusive, and 366 together. There are currently 96,500 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 62% since the end of December 2007. The outturn for rent supplement for 2009 was €511m with €509m provided for in 2010. It is not possible to provide an accurate cost to the exchequer if the withdrawal rates for rent and mortgage...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: In considering any changes to social welfare schemes, full consideration is given to the impact of any proposals on the recipients involved. The Government is acutely aware and appreciative of the contribution made by carers. It was for that reason, that when resources were available, we invested heavily in improving social welfare rates and services for carers. Following this year's...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: In considering any changes to social welfare schemes, full consideration is given to the impact of any proposals on the recipients involved. The Government is acutely aware and appreciative of the contribution made by carers. It was for that reason, that when resources were available, we invested heavily in improving social welfare rates and services for carers. Following this year's...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 367 and 368 together. My Department is currently renting two premises – Office Suites 1-3, Bridgewater Business Centre, Islandbridge, Dublin 8; and the Community Social Services Centre Bishopsgate, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The Community Social Services Centre, Mullingar is the operational location for the Department's Disability Activation Project which is...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance was received on 12 August 2010. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the Allowance. A letter issued to the person concerned on 5 October 2010 advising her of the decision. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 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 02 September 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received back in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 29...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare expenditure for 2011, including expenditure on payments to persons with disabilities, 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 financial position is advanced and to...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement as his rent was in excess of the maximum rent limit for his family size. The HSE further advised that the decision to refuse rent supplement was upheld by the HSE Appeals Office. It remains open for the person concerned to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeal Office.

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department operates an 'open sourcing' procurement model which aims to achieve the most economically advantageous result for each requirement/procurement. This includes consideration of open source solutions and generic consumables. Open source software and proprietary software have different business models and it is difficult to compare them directly even where they have directly...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The person concerned last renewed their family income supplement (FIS) claim in December 2009. To qualify for FIS a person must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them or is supported by them. A qualified child is any child under 18 or aged 18 to 22 if in full-time education. At the time of renewal the person concerned had one qualified child in full time education...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 30 June 2010. Her claim was assessed by a medical assessor who was of the opinion that she was not medically suitable for disability allowance. The deciding officer accepted that medical opinion and refused her claim. A letter issued to the person on 1 October 2010, advising her of this decision and of her right of appeal to the Social...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of his full entitlement to rent supplement.

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: 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 limits which could be achieved. In that context, rather...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The application for One Parent Family Payment was disallowed as the person concerned is cohabiting with her partner. She was notified of this decision and of her right of appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 5 October 2010.

Written Answers — Marriage Statistics: Marriage Statistics (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The number of notifications of intention to marry given, in the State, between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2010 where one party to the marriage was a non-Irish EU national, and the other party was a non-EU national was 1010. Of these, 766 marriages have been registered, and 244 have not been registered. The fact that these marriages have not yet proceeded may be due to a number of...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: In any given year, there are approximately one thousand successful applications for one parent family payment involving a family in which the youngest child is over the age of fourteen.

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: Where, in the future, eligibility for one-parent family payment ceases due to the youngest child attaining the age of 14, a range of other income supports will be available, subject to satisfying the various conditions of the particular scheme. These schemes include family income supplement, jobseeker's allowance, farm assist, disability allowance and blind pension. It is not possible to...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: To qualify for payment of FIS a person must be engaged in full time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least three months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. There are currently some 27,228 people in receipt of a weekly FIS payment of which 5,606 are also in receipt of a One Parent Family Payment. With regard to the level of take...

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

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme. In the case of One-Parent Family Payment, this would include confirmation of a person's place of habitual residence and, where appropriate, to assess...