Results 21,721-21,740 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 393 and 394 together. The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1st May 2004. A person who does not satisfy the habitual residence condition is not eligible for specified social welfare payments, regardless of citizenship,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. The back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. The Department plays a key role in the National Employment Action Plan which is the main activation measure for jobseekers and provides for a systematic engagement of the employment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare expenditure for 2011 will be considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget, having regard both to needs and to the resources available to meet those needs. In an uncertain economic environment, my priority will be to ensure that the Government strategy to stabilise the financial position is advanced and to protect those most in need in a manner which is sustainable in...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Since May 2008, some 450 additional posts have been assigned to my Department to deal with the significant increase in claims for the schemes operated by the Department. The majority of these posts have been sourced through the lateral transfer and redeployment of staff from within the Department and from other Government Departments. Staffing needs are kept under constant review to ensure...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Decisions on statutory social welfare schemes are made by statutorily appointed Deciding Officers of my Department. Where a customer is dissatisfied with a decision made by a Deciding Officer, s/he has a statutory right of appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. In addition to statutory schemes a number of non-statutory schemes are operated by my Department. Decisions are made by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The circumstances of the person concerned are currently being examined. When enquiries have been completed a decision will be made and she will be notified of the outcome.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that payment of mortgage interest supplement ceased as the person concerned did not return a review form which issued to her in August 2010. The HSE further advised that if the person concerned wishes to discuss her entitlement to mortgage interest supplement she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Following clarification in relation to this question there are no high levels groups appointed by me to examine a specific issue which involves stakeholders outside the Department such as interest groups.

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: My Department has been involved in the Inter-Departmental Group on Administrative Burden Reduction. The information obligations (IOs) which this Department's legislation/regulations impose on business have been examined and listed with a view to reducing, where possible, the administrative burden on business. Nine IOs have been identified for this Department, of which two overlap with the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme is intended as a temporary income support payment and is not designed to be a medium to long term housing support or a...

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: -----and it is expected that upwards of 33,000 appeals will be received this year. The number of appeals, therefore, has more than doubled. We are taking many steps to streamline the process and to make sure, for example, where further information is provided that the case does not go through the appeals process and is referred back to the Department where the decision can be revised....

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No, it is not.

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I attach a huge degree of urgency to this. The Deputy is wrong on a number of points, she is adding the number of appeals that will come in this year and the full backlog but there will always be some appeals on hand and because it takes time to deal with appeals, they will never reach zero. The Deputy has added the number of appeals on hand and the expected number.

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There will always be carry over of appeals into the following year, which the Deputy totally ignores in her mathematics. It takes time to deal with appeals because this is a quasi-judicial situation. I outlined the time taken in the answer to the priority question; it is needed because when an appeal is made, it is examined, if there is new information it is sent back for an opportunity for...

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The other thing wrong with the Deputy's mathematics is that supplementary welfare is paid but if the appeal is awarded, the money paid in supplementary welfare is taken into account.

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In many cases supplementary welfare is not paid. Supplementary welfare is only paid where the community welfare officer, having done his own means test, believes there is a prima facie case for the payment of supplementary welfare.

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Therefore, the figure the Deputy gave for the cost of supplementary welfare is wrong.

Social Welfare Appeals (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The first thing I paid attention to when I entered the Department was the length of the appeals process. As a constituency politician, I am more than aware of the problem. In fairness to the appeals office, which is independent, it has taken a huge number of steps to deal with the large increase in the number of applications. It is obvious that many decisions are now being revised before...

Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The back to education allowance scheme is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. With effect from 19 July...