Results 1,981-2,000 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- 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 88,000ââ
- 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 â¬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 â 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.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: There are significant human resources throughout the system and the country in the offices that deal with these people daily. Senator McFadden is correct. I welcome her support. Cross-party support is evident for this scheme which we are trying to finalise. As Senator McFadden is aware, there are different views among stakeholders as to how we achieve our aim. We are trying to use the...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: Currently, 40 facilitators are in place and another 30 will be added this year to make a total of 70. This is a gradual process. I will not pretend to the Senator that we can do it all overnight. It is clear there are many people who will not be able to do some of the things at a particular point in time. It is necessary to look at the cohort and see how one can facilitate the movement of...
- Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: Hear, hear.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: The Department is implementing a three year strategy to change paper based payment instruments to electronic payments at post offices and financial institutions. The programme is being implemented on a phased basis to coincide with book renewal production schedules and as personalised payable order books expire. The current range of payment options offered by my Department to customers'...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: Maternity Benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded by this Department to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory Maternity Leave. Under the provisions of social welfare legislation, the 26-week period of core statutory Maternity Leave attracts a payment from my Department â...
- Seanad: Departmental Staff (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: I thank Senator McCarthy for raising this important issue. As he said, many of my colleagues from both Houses from the area have raised this issue with me in the recent past. I understand the importance of the office and its impact locally, particularly on our customers. The Department delivers a front-line service to its customers through a network of 59 local offices and 66 branch...
- Seanad: Departmental Staff (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: I do not have the information on when the review will be finished. It is being carried out across the country, but it will be finished this year obviously. I am acutely aware of the issue in Dunmanway.
- Seanad: Hazardous Waste (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: I am taking the debate on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who is at an official function. Since the matter was last raised in the House in April 2005 there has been substantial progress on the rehabilitation project, which I am happy to outline here today. On the previous occasion the matter was raised, the then Minister outlined the Department's...
- Seanad: Hazardous Waste (5 Mar 2008)
Martin Cullen: I will ensure a record of the Senator's comments is forwarded to the Minister.
- 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.