Results 7,701-7,720 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Government's decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,210 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency is scheduled to relocate 25 posts to Monaghan and the...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (Resumed) (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: I wish to share time with Deputy Conor Lenihan. The Tribunal to Inquire into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, established by the Oireachtas has today, as it has had for the last ten years, all the resources, powers and independence it requires to complete its work. In his speech opening the debate Deputy Kenny clearly outlined that he and his party have no difficulty prejudging the...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (Resumed) (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: Through this Bill, not through motions such as this, public confidence in tribunals can be assured. Since 1997 the legal and administrative framework within which politicians at local and national levels operate has been transformed. Many of the abuses which have been dealt with at the tribunal have been addressed comprehensively. We need the tribunal's work to proceed to a conclusion,...

Written Answers — General Register Office: General Register Office (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: I have been advised by the Registrar General that the position is as follows. The provisions governing the registration of births are contained in Part 3 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. Section 22 (3) provides that, where the mother was married at the date of the birth of the child or at some time during the period of 10 months ending immediately before such birth, and where it is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: One of the conditions for entitlement to rent supplement is that a person must be assessed by a housing authority as having a housing need. As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 322 which I answered for the Deputy on 18th December 2007, the Health Service Executive has advised that in December 2006, it refused a payment of rent supplement in this case on the grounds that the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Customer informed Child Benefit Section on 3rd January 2008 that she mislaid her Child Benefit Book. A replacement book was sent to her nominated Post Office on 23 January 2008.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: A child benefit claim was received from the person concerned in June 2006. However, due to the very high volume of claims received from EU nationals over the past 2 years, delays in claim processing has been experienced. Additional resources have been assigned since September 2007 to deal with the arrears and progress is being made. This claim is now being prioritised and payment will be...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (31 Jan 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand from contact with the Deputy that he is interested in the accounting systems in use in my Department. The Department produces two statutory accounts annually. These two accounts — the Appropriation Account and the Social Insurance Fund account — are subject to annual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Their annual outturn for 2006 was €7.3 billion and €7.7...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The five statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle), the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. The following table contains the information sought. Name of Statutory Body Date of...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The information requested is currently being compiled within the Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 to 439, inclusive, together. No task forces are currently operating in my Department and none have been established in my Department in the past five years.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Since the commencement of the Decentralisation programme in my Department, quarterly returns have been submitted to the Central Decentralisation Unit within the Department of Finance detailing expenditure under the heading of non-property costs. The table below sets out the expenditure incurred by my Department since 2004 under the 5 subheads associated with non-property costs (the figure for...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Government's current decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,210 posts comprising this Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations – Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency is scheduled to relocate 25 posts to Monaghan and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the legislation, a person who claims Disability/Injury Benefit or an Unemployment payment is not normally paid for the first 3 days, which are known as waiting days. Where, however, the person had a recent claim in respect of any of these schemes, payment may be made from the first day of the claim. Waiting days have been a feature of these schemes since their inception and are a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The state pension (transition) was introduced in 1970 when it was known as the retirement pension. It was designed to bridge the gap between the standard social welfare pension age, which at that time was 70 years of age, and retirement at age 65. A key qualifying condition for the scheme is that a person has to be retired in order to qualify for a payment. Retirement was defined as not...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The policy of this and previous governments has concentrated on providing real increases in primary social welfare rates, to help improve the ability of people who depend on social welfare to meet their basic living costs including food. The Department through its various social insurance and assistance schemes provides income supports to people to meet their basic living needs, including...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Access to a healthy diet and tackling food poverty is a clear priority for this Government and the approach being adopted is linked to a wide range of policy initiatives which are reinforced in the Agreed Programme for Government. Towards 2016 contains targets relating to the development of the Schools Meals Programme, a new Health Promotion Policy and action on children's food poverty and...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: There is no delay in processing the majority of Child Benefit and Early Childcare Supplement awards. Awards on behalf of Irish — born children are processed either automatically or in a partially automated way using the child's birth details when they are registered with the General Registrar's Office. Parents are contacted by the Child Benefit office within two days of the registration...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (5 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: My Department is involved in a number of programmes and schemes some of which are funded by the EU. Details of the amount received by this Department from the EU since Ireland joined in 1973 are not immediately available. However, my Department will write to the Deputy with these details as soon as they are available.