Results 22,761-22,780 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: I will get that information for the Deputy.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The caller will be speaking to another person.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, that is my understanding of it. There is a great deal of investment involved and we must ensure-----
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: Its aim is to free up front line staff.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The technology is expected to be ready for initial trial implementation towards the end of 2010.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: No. It is expected to be ready for initial trial implementation towards the end of this year. The project has gone way beyond that suggested by the Deputy.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: That is an issue. I have heard many stories in relation to the existing system of people taking time off work to sign on for benefit.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: This brings me back to the other equation in regard to the need to ensure people are genuinely available for work. I am examining this in the context of activation. I fully accept what the Deputy is saying.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The majority of people claiming social welfare payments are not working. I presume the Deputy accepts that.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: It will free up front-line staff, who deal with thousands of people simply signing on, to look at high risk customers and see if they are working. We will have human resources to track down high risk customers. I believe strongly in activation, by offering people positions in schemes and then tracking those people who suddenly become unavailable. Every time we engage in the national...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: I can get it for the Deputy. Any reasonable technology expense is worthwhile if it gives better outcomes. When I ran community businesses I often said human beings, if not used productively, have a much higher cost than equipment. In any process, if something is repeated ad nauseam to hundreds of thousands of people it makes sense to invest in the technology to automate the process and...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The Cooney committee is to report by the end of this month. It is in that context that I see this review being brought to finality.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The evidence does not bear that out. I accept that there is a serious issue. I am anxious that these issues be brought to a finality. The committee will issue a report and it will be brought to Government. The very valid issue of rent subsidy was also raised. We are paying â¬500 million on rent subsidy. Local authorities must be more proactive with the rental accommodation scheme, RAS,...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: I have figures.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy is correct in that. However, we provide all the names and addresses of landlords and they are data matched by the Revenue Commissioners. Revenue has done a sample survey to see how many landlords are compliant.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, I understand we can get those figures for the Deputy, and it is a very high number. If a person receives a grant of â¬10,000 and uses it to pay for a service, the person who provides the service, and gets a payment of â¬10,000 or more, should produce a tax number. That seems to me to be fundamental. The Deputy's figure of 20% is correct and it is not satisfactory. In achieving 100%...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: I thank all the Deputies who have made significant contributions and in the main have been very constructive in their contributions. Since Deputy Ring is here and he could be in other places, I would like to address some of the very valid issues he has raised. I have spent a lifetime trying to create employment and a better life for ordinary people in an area the Deputy knows very well...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: I am delighted to hear that. Issues were raised about reasonable offers. That is an issue we can discuss at length on Committee Stage. In order to make the activation part possible I need the ability to weed out those who are not entitled to social welfare. I have great sympathy for the point made by Deputy Ring that there are people whom I would define as being unemployable. There is...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: In the short term we will employ retired appeals officers because an extraordinary knowledge of social welfare and other laws is required. It would take too long to train people to work this year.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)
Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, in the short term. It is the lesser of two evils.