Results 21,881-21,900 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that according to its records, it has not received an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211, 212 and 216 together. I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the average time to process all appeals is at present 28 weeks. Carers allowance appeals take 29 weeks on average and Disability Allowance appeals take 35 weeks. There was a 46% increase in the overall number of appeals received by that Office in 2009 when compared to 2008,...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The table below details the number of posts in the Department at 1st October 2010, that are primarily occupied in the functions concerned. Primary Function No of Posts Entitlement Processing 2,778 * Inspections 403 IT (including Procurement) 223 HR 80 Legal Services 1 The 2,778 posts are primarily occupied in processing claims made under the various schemes administered by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Temporary contract clerical staff are recruited by this Department to cover absences of permanent staff on maternity leave, long-term sick leave, other statutory leave and also to provide cover for some staff availing of the shorter working year scheme. Temporary contracts are offered for a fixed purpose and the term can vary according to the purpose for the contract. The majority of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The technical assistance and training scheme allows the Department to provide support to back to work enterprise allowance recipients, who are engaging in self employment projects, to enhance their chances of success and become independent of the social welfare system. This is a discretionary scheme and there is not an entitlement to the assistance as of right. Take up of the scheme has been...

Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghlacadh leis an Seanadóir as ucht an cheist seo a ardú. Aontaím leis go bhfuil sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go ndéanfaimid na hachomhairc seo a phróiseáil chomh scioptha agus is féidir. Ó tháinig mé isteach sa Roinn, tá mé dírithe go mór ar an gceist seo. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall, i dteannta na hoifigigh seo, a chinntiú go dtabharfaí...

Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There are 20 appeals officers working in the social welfare appeals office and, as the Senator knows, we appointed two extra in January 2009. There are also eight extra experienced retired staff working on a short-term basis to supplement current resources, and they are vetting claims with the aim of deciding a significant number of these on the basis of the documentary evidence and without...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the average time to process an Illness Benefit appeal at present is 37 weeks. There was a 46% increase in the number of appeals received by that Office in 2009 when compared to 2008, which in itself was 27% greater than the numbers received in 2007. There was an increase of a further 44% in the number of appeals received in the first...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In the case in question an application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 12th August 2009. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 6th October 2009 where the person concerned was advised of the decision to refuse the allowance. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The following table provides data on the total number of contributors to the Social Insurance Fund together with a breakdown of this figure by PRSI class type and sets out the benefit coverage relevant to each class. The figures for 2008 represent the most recent end-of-year returns received from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners for both employees and self-employed contributors....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 395 together. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme 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 another source. Social welfare legislation provides the Health Service Executive with...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The following tabular statement shows the current number of recipients and average payment of rent supplement by county. Details of expenditure on rent supplement are not available on a county basis. Recipients and Average Payment of Rent Supplement by County, 8 October 2010 COUNTY Recipients Average Rent Supplement Payment CARLOW 1,478 87.30 CAVAN 1,068 74.81 CLARE 1,888 77.74 CORK...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's benefit on 13 September, 2010 and her entitlement is currently being examined. When all enquiries are completed a decision will be made as soon as possible and she will be notified of the outcome.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The five priority issues identified in the correspondence from the Carers Association are: · "Hands off" the half rate carer's allowance and the respite care grant; · Protect carer's allowance and carer's benefit and address anomalies in qualifying criteria; · Enhance and support carers' health and wellbeing; · Provide comprehensive supports for family carers, including young...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The person concerned has been approved for a grant of €1000 under the technical assistance and training fund. Payment will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Workers are insured under the Social Welfare Acts as either employed or self-employed contributors. All workers, both employed and self-employed, are obliged to pay PRSI contributions as a percentage of their personal reckonable income. Participation in a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) course is not, in general, regarded as employment or self-employment. Consequently...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a habitual residency condition (HRC) and a means test, has registered for employment, unless they have a physical or mental disability, and can prove...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department has contracts in place for 1,801 individual voice and data links with Eircom. The total cost of these contracts was some €6m in 2009. Officials in the Department are currently preparing a tender for the provision of all such links and this is due to be published before the end of the year. The Department also has a private fibre network connecting Dublin headquarter...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The energy requirements of Government Departments, Offices and Agencies were catered for by the former Government Supplies Agency (GSA). The National Procurement Service has subsumed responsibility for GSA contracts. Details of the energy contracts are indicated as follows. Supplier Contract Date Contract Value 2008 Contract Value 2009 Electricity ESB.ieEnergia PS 77 01/07/07...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (19 Oct 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In order to qualify for a jobseeker's payment, a person must satisfy certain conditions which include being available for and genuinely seeking work. If a customer fails or refuses to take up a reasonable offer of employment, he or she may be disqualified for payment for up to nine weeks. In determining whether steps taken to seek employment have been reasonable, the Deciding Officer...