Results 20,641-20,660 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Supplementary welfare allowance which includes mortgage interest supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has advised that the mortgage interest supplement claim for the person concerned was suspended for the period October 2010 to December 2010 pending receipt of documentation clarifying the employment status of the applicant. The...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: This is a matter for the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The changes in the rates of social welfare payments announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement on 7th December 2010 have been provided for in the Social Welfare Act 2010. This Act was signed by the President on 17th December 2010 and the revised rates of payment took effect from the first week in January 2011.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that it has received an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned in August 2010. The HSE has further advised a decision on entitlement cannot be made pending receipt of documentation indicating which elements of the mortgage loan and value thereof are in respect of the purchase, essential repair or improvement of his...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme a number of supplements are available to individuals to assist them where costs cannot be met from their own resources including diet supplement, heating supplement and travel supplements. In addition exceptional needs payments (ENP) may also be made to help meet essential, once-off non-recurring costs. There is no automatic entitlement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16 December 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29 November 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Mortgage interest supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare Services Division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has advised that it refused payment of a mortgage interest supplement in September 2008 to the person concerned on the grounds that the amount of interest payable was in excess of what it considered to be reasonable to meet the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 07 July 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 26 October...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by over 90 private operators in various parts of the country at an annual cost to the exchequer of some €74 million in 2010. As outlined in The National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014, funding for the free travel scheme is now frozen at 2010 levels of expenditure for the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Legislation covering the FIS scheme is contained in Part 6 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Section 227 (a) provides that: "Family" means: where that person is living with or wholly or mainly maintaining his or her spouse, that spouse, and a child or children This definition only provides for payment of FIS where that person is considered to be part of a family, as defined....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The jobseeker's allowance claim, of the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on the grounds that she did not satisfy the habitual residence conditions. An appeal was registered on 25 January 2011 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal will be referred to an Appeals Officer in due course, who will decide whether the case can...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the hearing have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Payment of illness benefit, to the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was registered on 12 January 2011 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...

Written Answers — Departmental Research: Departmental Research (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have no plans, at present, to initiate further research on the impact of the social welfare changes announced in Budget 2011. However, the leading independent economic and social research body in Ireland, the ESRI, has examined, in detail, the impact of tax and welfare changes in recent budgets. The Institute highlighted the necessity to get the facts right, so that debate can be based on...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The determination of a person's habitual residence is made in accordance with Section 246 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. Subsection (4) specifically directs the deciding officer to "take into consideration all the circumstances of the case, including, in particular, the following: (a) the length and continuity of residence in the State or in any other particular...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together. Domiciliary Care Allowance was transferred to the Department from the HSE in 2009. In that year 11 Domiciliary Care Allowance appeals were processed by the Appeals Office compared to 652 in 2010. Each appeal is dealt with on its own merits after the Appeals Officer considers all the evidence and, consequently, the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) scheme remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. The programme is managed within this context, subject to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. Within the current budgetary constraints, the number of places on CE was...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government is very mindful of the impact of price rises in any area but particularly where essential goods and services are concerned. As the Deputy will appreciate it is not feasible to have the social welfare system respond when prices of particular goods increase, as it is necessary to consider the adequacy of payments in the aggregate. In that regard, I would like to point out that...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Feb 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. In order to be fair to all appellants, oral hearings are arranged in strict chronological order. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions...