Results 7,481-7,500 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The supplementary allowance (SWA) scheme, including rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Executive has advised that following a review of the persons rent supplement assessment, it has awarded a rent supplement of â¬470.60 per month to the person concerned with effect from November. The Executive has...
- Social Welfare Bill 2007: Order for Second Stage (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."
- Social Welfare Bill 2007: Second Stage (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce this, the first of two Bills that will implement the social welfare package of â¬900 million announced last week in budget 2008. This generous package, representing nearly half of all additional current Government spending announced in last week's budget, brings total expenditure on social welfare in 2008 to just...
- Social Welfare Bill 2007: Second Stage (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: That is unfair.
- Social Welfare Bill 2007: Second Stage (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The UN was quite satisfied that we do an excellent job. The point is unfair.
- Social Welfare Bill 2007: Second Stage (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I do not suggest that.
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 514 together. The Programme for Government features a number of commitments in relation to social welfare pensions, including a commitment to increase the basic State pension to â¬300 per week by 2012. Progress towards this target was announced in last week's Budget, where the State Pension (Contributory) was increased by â¬14 per week, bringing it...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to complete the process begun in Budget 2007 to raise the qualified adult increase for the spouses and partners (age 66 or over) of contributory pensioners to the level of the State Pension (Non-Contributory). Spouses and partners of non-contributory pensioners may receive a pension in their own right at age 66. In Budget 2008, I was pleased...
- Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the Home-maker's scheme which was introduced in 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. However, the scheme will not of itself qualify...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are about 115,000 people currently in receipt of the allowance, at an annual cost of some â¬60 million per annum. Increasing the allowance to â¬16 per week would involve an additional cost of the order of â¬36 million per annum. The policy in relation to pension rates in the recent budget was to use available resources to improve the position of all pensioners to the fullest extent...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to answer questions Nos. 516 and 517 together. In order to qualify for a rent supplement a person must satisfy a means test. The Executive must satisfy itself also that the applicant has a genuine accommodation need for which he or she cannot provide, that a bona fide tenancy arrangement exists between the applicant and the landlord and that the property being rented is suitable to...
- Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and Energia supply the electricity requirements for my Department and agencies. Some 27 offices of my Department, including all headquarter offices, are supplied by Energia with the remaining 108 offices, together with agencies of my Department, being supplied by the Electricity Supply Board. It is not possible to identify explicitly the generation sources...
- Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The final report on the investigation by the Competition Authority into the dental profession, published in October 2007, made the following recommendations which affect this Department: 1.The Health Service Executive and the Department of Social and Family Affairs should allow clinical dental technicians who are on the Register of Clinical Dental Technicians to be directly reimbursed under...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520, 521, 522, together. The Department supplies some 1,200 members of staff with mobile phones to assist in the performance of their official duties. The costs of official calls and phone rental on these devices are borne by the department. Arrangements are in place for staff to reimburse costs associated with personal calls on Departmental phones. There are...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos: 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 529, 532, 533, and 536 together. There are four civil servants in my Department's Press Office. The Press Officer is a Higher Executive Officer on a pay scale of â¬44,314 to â¬56,250. There are two Deputy Press Officers at Executive Officer grade. One of these is on a pay scale of â¬29,093 to â¬46,167 and the other is on a pay...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are currently five credit/charge cards held by officials of my Department and two held by agencies under the aegis of the Department. The cards are issued on the strict condition that they will be used solely for official purposes and the named card holder is the only person authorized to use the card. Such official usage includes purchase of equipment, air-fares, training courses,...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: According to Departmental records make up expenses were not incurred for the period requested.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: My Department has spent â¬41,847 on official entertainment in the 11 months to the end of November 2007, the latest date for which figures are available. Expenditure in the previous ten years is detailed below. Year ⬠1997 33,121 1998 35,032 1999 41,499 2000 54,744 2001 34,813 2002 76,935 2003 49,976 2004 35,438 2005 27,586 2006 34,135
- Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: The cost to my Department for 1997 for transport costs incurred by the then Minster was ⬠13,189. During the period July 1997 to date no Minister of State was formally assigned to my Department. However, Minister of State, Máire Hoctor, who is Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, has special responsibility for older people, areas of which fall within the remit of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (11 Dec 2007)
Martin Cullen: Details of public transport expenditure are not recorded separately but are included in the overall Travel and Subsistence subhead. There is a significant level of travel expenditure in my Department's budget, arising from the dispersed nature of my Department's services and, inter alia, the fact that a considerable level of investigative work must be carried out in the course of delivering...