Results 2,121-2,140 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Mortgage Interest Supplements: Mortgage Interest Supplements (19 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The table shows the number of recipients and expenditure on mortgage interest supplement in 2005 and 2006. Recipients and Expenditure — Private Mortgage Interest Supplement and Local Authority Mortgage Interest Supplement in 2005 and 2006 Private Mortgage Interest Supplement Local Authority Mortgage Interest Supplement Year Recipients €000 Recipients €000 2005 2,741 5,834 479 505...

Written Answers — Translation Services: Translation Services (19 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Translation services are provided for all languages and the majority of requests relate to supporting documentation for use in claims processing. The Department of Foreign Affairs provides a translation service for a number of EU languages. Requests for all other languages are sent to translation companies. In 2007 over 1,100 documents required translation into a number of different...

Written Answers — Regulatory Authorities: Regulatory Authorities (19 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Pensions Board is the only regulatory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The statutory role of the Board is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act 1990. This involves the regulation of occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and the provision of advice to the Minister for Social and Family...

Finance Bill 2008: Financial Resolutions (19 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I move the following Financial Resolutions: 1. THAT Part 19 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997), which contains the principal provisions in relation to the calculation of chargeable gains, be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution. 2. THAT the following provisions of the Finance Bill 2008 as initiated, namely: (a) section...

Written Answers — North-South Co-operation: North-South Co-operation (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The main areas of North-South co-operation undertaken by my Department are as follows. In June 2002 the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Plenary agreed that a dedicated cross-border website be established to counteract the complexity and difficulty people found in accessing relevant information on a range of issues from social security and taxation rights to housing and education. This...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has stated that the matter is currently under review with the Executive's Appeals Office and has advised that the person concerned will be informed of the outcome of its decision in due course.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Payment System: Social Welfare Payment System (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: It is government policy to facilitate the greater use of electronic payment systems in the economy in the interests of developing a world-class payments environment in Ireland. In this context, the National Payments Implementation Program Advisory Group, under the aegis of the Department of An Taoiseach, monitors the growth in electronic payments, the reduction in cash transactions and any...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 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. Rent supplement is subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant may incur. Rent limits are set at levels that enable the different eligible household types to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Government is anxious to ensure that as many people as possible can be accommodated within the social welfare pensions system, with due regard being paid to the contributory principle underlying entitlement to contributory payments and, in the case of non-contributory payments, the need to ensure that resources are directed to those who are most in need. Over the last 10 years, means...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of a rent supplement (in addition to a one parent family payment) at the maximum rate payable appropriate to her circumstances. The Executive have further stated that the person concerned was advised by the Community Welfare Officer (CWO), to contact the local Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The determination of rents payable under the terms of the differential rent scheme and the income to be assessed for this purpose is the responsibility of the relevant local authority and is subject to broad principles, as laid down by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that guidelines issued by that department to local authorities indicate that no more...

Order of Business (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: There is something wrong with Deputy Gilmore's hearing too.

Order of Business (14 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Yes.

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: People are regarded as being in consistent poverty if their income is below 60 per cent of median income (€202.50 per week for a single person) and they experience deprivation in relation to a list of specific items. The items chosen are based on surveys of what people consider are essential for a basic standard of living in Ireland. The measure, originally developed by the Economic and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 114, 139 and 143 together. The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The staff and other resources available to the Department are regularly reviewed having regard to the workload arising and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I have already described in my answer to Deputy Naughten's question the reasons for the introduction of the habitual residence condition and its application to carer's allowance, so I will confine this answer to its application in general and to other schemes. The following schemes are subject to this condition: Jobseeker's Allowance State Pension (Non-Contributory) Blind Person's Pension...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The legislative provisions relating to late claims for social welfare benefits are set out in Section 241 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, and in Regulations made under that section. These provisions set out the times within which a person must claim, the disqualifications which apply where a claim is made late, and the circumstances in which the time limits may be extended....

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 149, 152, 155 and 157 together. Fuel poverty has been described as the inability to afford adequate warmth in a home, or the inability to achieve adequate warmth because of the energy inefficiency of the home. The primary contributory factor to fuel poverty is the energy efficiency of the private and public housing stock. As such, the Department of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Responsibility for questions relating to entitlement to paternity leave rests with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The question of a social insurance funded payment for paternity leave would be contingent on an underlying entitlement to statutory parental leave. While male employees are not entitled under Irish law to either paid or unpaid paternity leave, they may be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand that the Deputy is concerned in particular about the current arrangements applying in the case of old age pension where a land-holder leases land or is otherwise in possession of land which is fallow or idle. Currently, a Group in my Department is undertaking a review of means testing arrangements generally and I understand that the issue raised by the Deputy is being considered...