Results 8,041-8,060 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Seanad: Telecommunications Services (5 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I thank Senator Coffey. This is the first time I have addressed him in the Seanad. It is also a coincidence that all the Members present at this late hour are from County Waterford.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services (5 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Perhaps we will decide tonight to establish a university in the south east.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services (5 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I speak on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who is attending an official function. I am pleased to update the House on the availability of broadband services, including in Dunmore East and Tramore, in which I have a particular interest, and Government initiatives to assist the telecommunications sector to deliver next generation broadband. The...

Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Hear, hear.

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 139 together. In 2007, Child Benefit (CB) payments totaling some €4.78m were made for 2,300 families, in respect of 4,300 children living outside the Republic of Ireland in another EU/EEA country. In addition, Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) payments to the value of €1.12m were made in respect of 1,700 non-resident children under the age of 6....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, 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 is determined by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 140 together. The person concerned, who is self-employed in the construction industry, applied for jobseeker's allowance on 21 January 2008. A Deciding Officer assessed his weekly means at €385.00 and awarded the allowance to him at the weekly rate of €40.00 from 21 January 2008. A first payment, including arrears, issued to him on 25 February...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (6 Mar 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 — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The person concerned came to Ireland, from Nigeria, in February 2003 and first applied for One Parent Family Payment in July 2005. Her circumstances were investigated by a Social Welfare Inspector who reported that, in her view, the person concerned had not established that she is a separated person within the meaning of the Social Welfare legislation and that there is evidence of an ongoing...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand the Senator's sentiment in this regard. We have had extensive debate on this issue in the Dáil, at the committee and in the Seanad. My opinion is well known. We meet all our United Nations requirements under the law in regard to looking after those in the asylum seekers system. As the Senator rightly said we do not pay over cash but we look after these people by putting...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The rent supplement scheme is an individual payment to a person who needs support within the system. The payment is not a payment to a landlord. On some occasions, we pay direct to the landlord on behalf of the client. This may be for money management reasons for people who are not capable, for whatever reason, of managing the resources themselves, and happens in a small number of cases....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The family income supplement, as all sides agree, is an important contribution to getting people back to work and out of the poverty trap by assisting families who have difficulties without keeping them entirely in the social welfare system. If they go back to full-time work, they can avail of the family income supplement, which is very important. What we will try to do in the years ahead...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: This scheme is very significant and benefits approximately 180,000 children, which is the type of coverage one would expect, with approximately 88,000——

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: There are approximately 88,000. As the Senator knows, many different schemes which break down in many different ways are available to those who need them, who may qualify under different criteria. This year, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance has a budget of over €43.5 million, which is significant. It is beneficial to those who avail of it. We have gone from the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: This issue seems complex but is quite simple. It affects a small number of people — no more than 100. The effect is that people working in Ireland who have been paying into the social insurance fund can transfer the value of their payments into the European PSEC fund if they take up a job with one of the European institutions, and that those coming back from having worked in a European...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: These people have been paying into the fund so it is a movement of their own resources, not an added burden. It is about protecting an individual's pension. In the past this had been deemed valid for occupational pensions but it is now felt that it should be part of the social insurance fund as well, which is where we are moving it and putting it into play. This is about the individual,...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: It will just transfer the portion back or vice versa.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Illness benefit is an income support payment for people of working age who are unable to work owing to illness and who satisfy certain social insurance conditions. Those who are in receipt of the personal rate of illness benefit may also be entitled to increases for dependent adults and qualified children. In addition, they may qualify for some secondary benefits such as smokeless fuel...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I am told it is a very minimal cost. It is 63 cases.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Yes. We have two pilot schemes running at the moment in Kilkenny and Coolock.