Results 7,781-7,800 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: During 2007, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provided services to 12,433 new clients. In addition, 2,643 people sought information about budgeting and money management. The MABS National Helpline, which was launched on 4th October 2007, dealt with some 1,700 calls. The majority of clients were on social welfare payments (57%), the highest numbers being 2,455 (20%) who were in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the statistics requested by the Deputy in respect of 2007 are being processed for inclusion in the annual report of the Chief Appeals Officer which is currently being compiled for publication shortly.

Written Answers — Customer Service Targets: Customer Service Targets (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: My Department has adopted challenging customer service targets particularly in relation to the timescales for the processing of claims. The following tabular statement sets out the various customer service targets and the performance figures for the 2007 year. The claim processing targets refer only to new and repeat claims and do not reflect the significant amount of work involved in dealing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Rent supplement is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities in receipt of particular payments from my Department. It affords them the opportunity to undertake approved second or third level courses of education to improve their skills and qualification and, therefore their prospects of returning to the active...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the Homemaker's scheme which was introduced in and took effect from 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...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Ten staff have been dismissed from my Department under the provisions of the Civil Service Regulation Act Amendment 2005 as follows: 2 Service Attendants 1 Service Officer 1 Executive Officer 6 Clerical Officers. Three of the above were officers on probationary contracts.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Arising from the dispersed nature of my Department's services based nationwide and the fact that a considerable level of investigative work must be carried out in the course of delivering the Department's services. A relatively high level of travel expenditure is incurred annually in my Department's administrative budget. Details of domestic and foreign travel, subsistence — which includes...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Some local authorities have very good waiver schemes, both with private operators as well as their own. It is a matter for the local authorities. Some of them are very good.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: It is abdication of responsibility.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: It is not my responsibility. It is local government.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: That is terrible. I agree with the Deputy.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I did not say a word.

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Carer's allowance is a means tested social welfare payment for people providing full-time care and attention to people who need it. In line with social assistance payments generally, one of the eligibility requirements for carer's allowance is that the applicant be habitually resident in the State. All applicants, regardless of nationality, are required to be habitually resident in the State...

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The correct information is that from 1 May 2004 to 31 December 2007 the number of claims with complex habitual residence condition, HRC, issues decided in respect of Irish citizens was 16,242 of which 1,684 were disallowed. It was not 16,000 as the Deputy indicated.

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: There were 16,000 applications. European Union legislation prohibits discrimination between nationals of EU member states in the context of freedom of movement and people's access to social security or social assistance entitlements. Irish nationals returning here to live on a permanent basis have absolutely no difficulty in demonstrating that they satisfy the requirements of the habitual...

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Anybody who comes back permanently has no problem at all. Some people may come back for two or three months and that is an entirely different matter. If Irish people come back to Ireland to stay here, there is no difficulty in giving them all of the various entitlements. As the Deputy is aware, there are a number of areas where the habitual residence condition applies to different aspects...

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: It is not in place specifically for the carer's allowance.

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: It includes the carer's allowance but the point is that it applies to a range of issues in the social welfare system. The bottom line is that it is there to protect our social welfare system, so that we do not——

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand from where people are coming in this debate. What has been continually suggested to me is that we should abandon the habitual residence clause.