Results 8,121-8,140 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Data Protection. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I hope it will be finalised shortly. I am not the Data Protection Commissioner and I await his report.

Data Protection. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I said "shortly". I do not know. The Data Protection Commissioner is responsible for presenting the report and when he does, Deputy Shortall will be the first to hear of it.

Data Protection. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: Any recommendations that can be implemented to enhance the security of the systems on behalf of our customers will be, and are at all times, implemented.

Data Protection. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: As a result of my and the House's interest in this issue over time, I raised it at management board meetings within the Department to ensure that the most up-to-date security systems, in terms of the new ICT systems that are being put into the Department, give the highest possible level of protection to the information supplied by customers. There are spot checks in the Department and senior...

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 110, 141, 147 and 149 together. There are currently 246,000 customers in receipt of a contributory State pension. Of these, some 37,000 — 15% — reside outside the State in some 63 countries. The majority of these are resident in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Germany and Spain. A breakdown of the number of...

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: It is utterly untrue.

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I am happy to do so. First, it was never the case that either I or any official in my Department believed the story presented in certain elements of the media regarding 8,000 persons. These are simply control mechanisms that are implemented consistently across a range of schemes. Second, we have no evidence whatsoever, or reason to believe, that the 37,000 Irish citizens who live abroad and...

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: On the first point, our approach was not exceptional. It was part of the normal process of reviews and control mechanisms constantly being implemented by the Department with regard to various schemes. It was presented by some elements in the media as if it was something new and special and as if it had been triggered by something specific, but that is not the case. The Department does this...

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: The information in question is not just to do with individual pensioners. There is a strong and direct relationship between the Department and many of the institutions in other countries, whether banks, social welfare departments, pensions systems or death registries. I provided some detail to the Deputy with regard to relationships with Northern Ireland and the Department for Work and...

Pension Provisions. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: We send out information, particularly when a new book is being issued and there is an increase in the pension, to individual recipients setting out their responsibilities with regard to notifications of any nature that would affect their payments. We must try to verify that the information we receive is real and we do that in conjunction with the Departments in other countries that have an...

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a rent supplement to assist eligible tenants who are unable to provide for their immediate accommodation needs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Under the...

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I have taken action since the issue was raised in the House some time ago. Discussions have taken place between the Department, the Revenue Commissioners and the PRTB to see how we can improve the existing system. The Department notifies the PRTB of all tenancies where rent supplement is paid by the Department. I do not have a figure for the total number but only have the figure I provided...

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I did not say that.

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: Two clear issues have come up through discussion. The first is that it is beginning to emerge that both the Labour Party and Fine Gael do not really want housing to be the responsibility of local government at all.

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: They obviously do not have any confidence that all of their councillors will fulfil their responsibilities at local level.

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: If it is proposed that the existing legislative basis for the responsibility for the quality and standard of housing stock in the country, which at the moment is the responsibility of local authorities, should be changed and if both parties are now saying that they do not have confidence in their own councillors to carry out those responsibilities, we will review the situation. In respect...

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: I have told the Deputy on three occasions that my Department provides all the information to the PRTB and the Revenue Commissioners that it is legally allowed to provide and that there are mechanisms in place with the PRTB where we notify it about all new tenancies.

Social Welfare Code. (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: This triggers other mechanisms of information flow to the Revenue Commissioners as well. The Deputy is well aware of that. What I am not prepared to do is to make the individual social welfare recipient responsible for other people's tax affairs. It would be grossly wrong and unfair.

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (2 Apr 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 tenant makes the application for rent supplement and the Department's relationship is with the tenant in all cases. Payment is made to the tenant in most cases, it is the property of the tenant in all cases and is specifically for the benefit of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Apr 2008)

Martin Cullen: The telephone allowance is a component of the household benefits package which also includes the electricity/gas allowance and free television licence schemes. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of...