Results 23,081-23,100 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government is conscious that many lone parents will need access to education, training and enabling services such as childcare provision in order to acquire the skills they will need to gain employment. As outlined in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 400 of 18 May, 2010, there are a wide range of education and training opportunities available through my Department, the Department...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The recently published National Pensions Framework is the Government's plan for pension reform. It encompasses all aspects of pensions, including social welfare pensions, private occupational pensions and public sector pension reform. Development of the framework was informed by the range of views raised during the comprehensive consultation process which followed publication of the Green...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 295 together. The challenges facing the Irish pension system are significant. In particular, the task of financing increasing pension spending will fall to a diminishing share of the population. There are currently six workers for every pensioner and this ratio is expected to decrease to less than two to one by 2050. Increasing State pension age is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 85 together. I have made available to the House two tables showing details of performance targets and average processing times for all schemes. Table 1 sets out the target performance standard and the performance achieved for each scheme in the month of April 2010 and the average number of weeks taken to process each claim type. Details of cases...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: 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 any other source. The schemes primary purpose is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Protection of Employees (Employer Insolvency) Act 1984 comes under the auspices of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. I understand that Section 7 of this Act provides for the payment, by that Minister, out of the Redundancy and Employers' Insolvency Fund, of the amount of unpaid pension contributions which should have been paid by the relevant employer in respect of a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare legislation does not currently provide for the reimbursement to the Department by insurance companies of social welfare payments deducted from awards of special damages in respect of loss of earnings. As data on the numbers of clients who hold private insurance or whose loss of income was covered through an insurance claim is not routinely collected by the Department, it is...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 82 together. The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice, and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services on behalf of the Department. Funding of some €45.8m has been allocated to the CIB in 2010. The Citizens Information Board administers funding to the network of 42 Citizen...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The determination of a person's habitual residence is made in accordance with Section 246 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. Subsection (4) specifically directs the deciding officer to "take into consideration all the circumstances of the case, including, in particular, the following: (a) the length and continuity of residence in the State or in any other particular...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Social welfare legislation provides that the yearly value of "property owned but not personally used or enjoyed" is assessable for means testing purposes. Such property includes houses and premises owned by a claimant which may or may not be put to commercial use. However, it does not include property such as the home or, for example, a premises used by the claimant in carrying out a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Section 888 of the Taxes Acts places an obligation on the Department to provide the Revenue Commissioners with payment details relating to rent supplement on an annual basis. Section 123 of the Finance Act 2007 Act places an additional obligation on the Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to request a PPS No. or Tax Reference Number from a landlord before payment of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Social Protection already assists low income households with heating costs through their basic payments, through the fuel allowance scheme and through the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The fuel allowance is paid for 32 weeks each year from end September to end April. In the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There are currently just over 16,500 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, compared to 8,091 recipients in 2008. Expenditure for the year ending December 2009 was €60.7m; the estimate for 2010 is €63.9m. The mortgage interest supplement scheme is currently under review. The main purpose of this review is to examine how the scheme can best meet its objective of catering for...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There are currently 19 jobseekers categorised as availing of the IBEC Gradlink programme. The objective of the IBEC Gradlink programme is to assist recent graduates improve their skills during the current downturn and prepare them for the economic recovery. The IBEC Gradlink programme was introduced in January 2010 and is run under the auspices of the Irish Business and Employer...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The fuel allowance scheme is intended to help households who are dependent on long-term social welfare payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. Entitlement to the allowance is based on a household income test. If, in addition to their pension from the Department, the applicant or members of his/her household have a combined income of more than €100.00 per week,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Due to staff action currently being taken in the HSE, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme will be commenced in June and will be administered by the Department of Social Protection. Regulation pertaining to the scheme is in the final stages of preparation, as are details of scheme administration. The scheme will run for the calendar year 2010 only. However, any qualifying employment created in 2010 will be eligible for the scheme, which...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2010)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have attached a tabular statement showing the expenditure on living alone allowance by each scheme and a second tabular statement showing the number of recipients of living alone allowance by the primary scheme of the recipient. A breakdown of Widow/er's Contributory Pension by age is not available while Disability Allowance is not payable after age 65. Expenditure for Living Alone...