Results 2,161-2,180 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

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

Martin Cullen: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such...

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

Martin Cullen: Applicants for one-parent family payment are required to make efforts to seek adequate maintenance from their former spouses, or, in the case of unmarried applicants, the other parent of their child, and must satisfy the Department that they have made reasonable attempts to obtain such maintenance. Similarly, under the Liability to Maintain the Family provisions of the Social Welfare...

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

Martin Cullen: Rent supplement, which is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant may incur. Rent limits are set at levels that enable different eligible household types to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different rental market...

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

Martin Cullen: The Guardians' payment schemes allow for the provision of a weekly allowance to a guardian of a child who has either been orphaned or whose parents have deserted and failed to provide for the child. The review of the Guardians' payment within my Department commenced in late 2006 and involved a detailed analysis of a large sample of guardians' payment files. Statistics recovered from the...

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

Martin Cullen: 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 1 May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the 10 new EU Member States, without the transitional limitations which were imposed at that time by most...

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

Martin Cullen: The reviews of the work of the Combat Poverty Agency are at different stages of progression. The review of the Agency's Research Programme, initiated in May 2007 by the Agency and the Office for Social Inclusion of the Department, is being carried out by Goodbody Economic Consultants. It will, inter alia, assess the activities, output and outcomes of the research programme; review the...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The development of a national carer's strategy is a key Government commitment in the national partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and the Programme for Government. A working group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, has begun work on developing the strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group which also includes representatives of the Departments of...

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

Martin Cullen: The case reported on by the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) involves a couple who were over 56 years of age in 1988 when compulsory social insurance for the self-employed was introduced and who could not, therefore, satisfy one of the basic requirements for pension as they did not commence paying insurance 10 years before pension age. As the Deputy may be aware, a special pension paid...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Government's decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,210 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency and Citizens Information Board are scheduled to relocate to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Payment System: Social Welfare Payment System (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: In 1992, my Department and An Post entered into a five year contract for the delivery of social welfare payments. This contract was renewed in 1997 for a further three years to the end of 1999. The Government's decision in 1999, to extend the Department's contractual arrangements with An Post, gave rise to a procurement complaint being lodged with the European Commission in 2000. The...

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

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 278 together. Last September, I was pleased to introduce two reforms of the social welfare means testing system. The new arrangements enable recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance, as well as their spouses or partners, to retain more of their social welfare payment if either or both engage in employment. The overall aim of these reforms is to encourage...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Data Protection Commissioner notified my Department in late October 2007 that he intended to undertake a focussed audit of the Department's procedures for processing personal data. This audit commenced in late January 2008 and has not yet been finalised.

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

Martin Cullen: The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that we pay the right person the right amount of money at the right time. Over 600 staff at local, regional and national level are engaged on a full or part-time basis on work related to the control of...

Written Answers — School Meals Programme: School Meals Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The school meals programme operated by my Department gives funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes. The first is the long-standing statutory urban school meals scheme, currently operated by 36 local authorities. The second is the school meals (local projects) programme through which funding is provided directly by the Department...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: My Department assumed responsibility for the allocation of PPS Numbers in June 2000. Because the PPS Number is a unique identifier for access to services provided by Government Departments and other public bodies it is essential to have effective controls around the PPS Number registration process. Controls are exercised at both the initial allocation stage and at subsequent stages in the...

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

Martin Cullen: Rent supplement is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive 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 different...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Payment System: Social Welfare Payment System (13 Feb 2008)

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

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Government's current decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,200 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) and Citizens Information Board (CIB) are...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The MABS was initiated in 1992 when the Budget provided for a special allocation of €330,000 (£260,000) for the establishment of five Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) pilot projects around the country. Since 1992 the service has...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Social Welfare Benchmarking and Indexation Working Group was established under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), in late 2000 and met for the first time on 17 December 2000. The group comprised some 16 members drawn from government departments and social partners. It was chaired by an independent chairperson, Professor Kieran Kennedy, former director of the...