Results 7,221-7,240 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are no arrears of rent supplement due in this case. All rent supplement due up to the end of October has been paid. The Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned was awarded a rent supplement from 20th September 2007 at a rate of â¬543.70 per month. It has further advised that the payment of â¬743.10 which issued to the person concerned on 26th October 2007...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The living alone allowance is an additional payment of â¬7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a n umber of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The State pension (non-contributory) is a social assistance scheme and, in common with all other such schemes, features a means test. In assessing eligibility for social assistance payments, the means test is based on household income. This is to ensure that resources committed to social assistance payments are used to provide support and improve the position of those who are most in need....
- Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables. Table A â position at 1st November 2002 Name Title Salary Scale Mel Cousins Special Adviser Principal Higher Scale Tom Reddy Press Adviser Principal Bridget Byrne Personal Secretary to Minister Mary Coughlan Secretarial Assistant Kathleen Ayres Personal...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The person concerned recently applied for, and was refused basic supplementary allowance. She appealed the decision to the Executive's designated Appeals Officer who upheld the decision. The case has been sent to the Chief Appeals Officer of my Department who are examining her appeal. The person concerned has an appointment for an oral hearing on 22 November 2007.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: To qualify for a full rate contributory pension a yearly average of 48 contributions is required. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 780 contributions paid and credited in the period from 1963 to 2006. This gives him a yearly average of 18, and entitles him to a rate of â¬157 State Pension (Contributory) per week. He is also on receipt of a...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are 19 Medical Assessors employed by my Department, plus a Deputy Chief Medical Advisor and the Chief Medical Advisor. Medical Assessors carried out some 73,200 desk reviews and 29,200 examinations in 2006. In some 7,400 cases the claimant was found not to satisfy the medical criteria for receipt of the allowance or benefit. The opinion of the Medical Assessor represents an important...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The exact cost of increasing the earnings disregard under the rent and mortgage interest supplement schemes by â¬25 per week to â¬100 per week is unknown due to the wide variations in rents and mortgages paid by household of different sizes and the unknown impact of such increases on the take-up of the scheme. As an indicative guide, it is estimated that the proposal could add some â¬2.3...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The estimated cost of increasing the upper earnings disregard for recipients of the one parent family payment is â¬6.6 million for a full year.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 286 together. The income limits for the BSCFA scheme for 2007 are based on the maximum rate of state pension (contributory) (under 80), plus the qualified adult allowance, plus â¬100 in the case of married and cohabiting couples; and the maximum rate of widow's/widower's contributory pension (under 80) plus â¬100 for Lone Parents, plus child...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: Jobseeker's benefit is an insurance based payment and the daily income disregard does not apply to this scheme. I presume the Deputy is inquiring about jobseeker's allowance and farm assist which are means tested payments where casual worker's earnings are assessed with a daily income disregard of â¬20. There are approximately 5,800 casual workers in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. To...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281, 284 and 288 together. It is not possible to estimate the cost of reducing the required minimum hours from 38 hours per fortnight to 30 hours per fortnight in time available as the number of additional people in a position to avail of the supplement would have to be ascertained, taking into account the availability of existing disregards and tapered...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The person concerned made an application for a State Pension Non Contributory in September 2007. Following investigation by a Social Welfare Inspector the customer was assessed with a weekly means of â¬75.57 based on following earnings:â Net yearly earnings from holding â¬7,860.00 Moiety (half the means of a couple living together) â¬3,930.00 She was informed on 23 October 2007 that...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: Due to high volumes of claims in the FIS section, there have been delays in processing claims. My Department has introduced measures to directly address the timeliness of claim processing for FIS: A review of existing processes and procedures has been carried out with the explicit objective of reducing delays in claim processing; Priority is being given to renewal claims to ensure...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: The cost per year of a â¬20 increase in the maximum personal rate of Disability Allowance to â¬205.50 per week is â¬100.98m. This figure includes both the increases for the personal rate as well as the proportionate increases for Qualified Adults.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: As of 1 June, 2006, the income disregard for Disability Allowance is no longer a flat income limit of â¬120 but instead operates on the basis of a tapered withdrawal rate between â¬120 and â¬350. This means that all income up to â¬120 is disregarded as means when assessing entitlement, while income between â¬120 and â¬350 is assessed on the basis of 50 cents for every euro earned. The...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the papers of the person concerned have been forwarded to my Department for their comments on the grounds of appeal. On receipt of their response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of my Department that is...
- Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: There is the Luas in Dublin.
- Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2007)
Martin Cullen: Hear, hear.