Results 2,721-2,740 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (27 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: My Department administers some fifty schemes and makes payments to one million people each week. This volume of business requires the Department to depend heavily on ICT and to have responsibility for significant amounts of data. Data is generated by staff entering information to internal data-bases or by receipt of information from external agencies such as the General Register office in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: Expenditure on rent supplement to end October 2007 was €324 million. It is estimated that a further €68 million will be spent on the scheme by end 2007, bringing total expenditure for this year to €392 million. The Pre-Budget Outlook published on 18th October provides €775.5 million for supplementary welfare allowance in 2008, just under €414 million of which is for rent...

Estimates for Public Services 2007: Leave to Introduce (27 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2007:— Vote 20 — Garda Síochána (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 21 — Prisons (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 25 — Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 26 — Education and Science (Supplementary...

Estimates for Public Services 2007: Referral to Select Committee (27 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I move: That, subject to leave being given to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on 31st December, 2007, the Supplementary Estimates be referred to the following Select Committees pursuant to Standing Order 154(3) and paragraph (1)(a)(ii) of the Committees' Orders of Reference, which shall report back to the Dáil by no later than the dates...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The State pension (transition) was introduced in 1970 when it was known as the retirement pension. It was designed to bridge the gap between the standard social welfare pension age, which at that time was 70 years of age, and retirement at age 65. Because of the purpose for which the scheme was introduced, a key qualifying condition was that a person had to be retired in order to qualify...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the papers of the person concerned have been forwarded to my Department for their comments on the grounds of appeal. On receipt of their response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of my Department that is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: There is no specific scheme for proprietors of businesses that have collapsed. Such persons may qualify for the jobseeker's allowance which is a means-tested scheme. To qualify for a jobseeker's allowance a person must be unemployed, be under 66 years of age, be capable of and available for work and be genuinely seeking employment. There are no statistics available on the number of persons...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals for services for lone parents including the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents; the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents; focused provision of childcare;...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: Rent supplement is subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for rent supplement may incur. These rent limits, provided for in Regulations and effective from January 2007 to June 2008, are set at levels that enable the different categories of eligible tenant households to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different rental market...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Bereavement Grant is a payment designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It is a scheme that relates specifically to those who have made PRSI contributions and is payable on the death of an insured person, his/her spouse and dependent children under age 18 or under age 22 if in full-time education. Budget 2007 extended the bereavement grant to the next of...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The numbers and costs of legal opinions commissioned by the Pensions Board for the specified periods are: 2005 — 28 external legal opinions; total cost €118,160.10; 2006 — 26 external legal opinions; total cost €98,355.30; 2007 to date — 18 external legal opinions; total cost €60,292.69. The Pensions Board is a statutory body established by the Pensions Act, 1990. It regulates...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive (HSE) was contacted regarding this case and has advised that the person concerned was refused supplementary welfare allowance in May 2007 on the grounds that she does not satisfy the habitual residency condition. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare staff of the Health Service Executive, is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of a rent supplement at the maximum rate payable appropriate to her circumstances. The net disposable income of the person concerned has not changed in the last number of months. The reason the rent is in arrears is due to the non payment of rent by the person concerned. The Executive have further advised that...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The number of new boards, agencies, bodies, commissions and offices which have been established or abolished in the past ten years under the remit of my Department are as follows: Comhairle (now known as the Citizens Information Board) was established on the 12th June 2000 under the provisions of the Comhairle Act, 2000. The functions of the National Social Services Board (NSSB), which...

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I would like to thank Senator Keaveney for raising this important issue. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regrets that he is unable to be here in person due to another commitment. He has asked me to respond to the motion on his behalf. Group sewerage schemes, though much less numerous than group water schemes, have provided communities with the opportunity of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. In general, child benefit may be paid in respect of every child under the age of 16 years who is ordinarily resident in the State. Payment can be extended to the 19th birthday if the child is in education or incapable of self-support. The benefit is paid to the qualified person with whom the child resides and the qualified person must...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: Yes. This issue was considered at the time with particular reference to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It became clear that the convention does not prescribe that a straight cash payment must be made. If a state makes indirect provision — Ireland devotes quite substantial resources to indirect provision — rather than making payment by way of child benefit that is equally...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Nov 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 requires the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to arrange for an actuarial review of the financial condition of the Social Insurance Fund to be made every five years. The most recent actuarial review, which covers the period from 2005 to 2061, was published on the 17th October 2007. One of the Review's principal findings was that, based on a...

Written Answers — School Meals Scheme: School Meals Scheme (21 Nov 2007)

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 by my Department to...