Results 2,961-2,980 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The best way to deal with all these matters is to keep employment very high, as we have done successfully in the last few years.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Of course, because we have developed new policies that were unheard of five or six years ago.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are many different areas, such as disability and care. This has been made possible because we have such a strong economy and because we have such high employment. The debate has started â I welcome the Deputy's views on it â because I published the report and the other report along with the Green Paper on pensions. That is a very important debate that we will have to hold as a...
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: I am not sure whether the Deputy is making a pronouncement on a new Fine Gael policy to increase the payments of individuals.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: That is what the Deputy seems to be suggesting.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: That is what the Deputy seems to be suggesting. The fund is only one aspect of how we finance all pensions.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: I know that and I already answered the question at the start. The programme for Government sets out what we are doing. In parallel with that, there is a major debate on pensions which must be resolved. The Exchequer has always been the residual funder of the social insurance fund. It was so for 40 years.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: We do not have a magical way to increase that fund, unless the Deputy wants to increase everybody's contributions.
- Social Insurance. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The balance will be struck between what is in the fund, when the deficit will run out and what the Exchequer responsibility will be in making the commitments that are there. Let us be clear that all pensions are secure for the next number of years.
- Anti-Poverty Strategy. (31 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The reduction and eventual elimination of child poverty is a national priority and is at the core of the strategic process to combat poverty and social exclusion as set out in Towards 2016, the national action plan for social inclusion, NAPinclusion, and the social inclusion commitments in the NDP. One of the 12 high-level goals set out in the NAPinclusion focuses on achieving significant...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The profile of pension members is provided by regular CSO surveys on pension coverage, which are part of the Quarterly National Household Survey. Results were published in 2006 in respect of Quarter 4 2005, and another coverage survey can be expected in 2009. Further information on the relationship between employer characteristics (detailed sector, size of employer, etc.) and pension coverage...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The statistics requested by the Deputy are contained in the following tabular statement. Farm assist is open to any person aged between 18 and 66 years who is engaged in farming. The scheme is means-tested, taking into account both farm income and off-farm income of the farmer and his/her spouse/partner. The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide cash support for employees on...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Spouses working for self-employed contributors are specifically excepted from social insurance contributions. This exclusion recognises the practical difficulties in establishing the nature of a genuine employment relationship in circumstances such as when a person employed under a contract of service (i.e. as an employee) by his or her spouse is classed as an "excepted" contributor under...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: It is a fundamental principle of our social insurance system that those qualifying for benefits must satisfy a range of contribution and other conditions. In the case of contributory pensions, this involves commencing payment of contributions 10 years before pension age, payment of a minimum number of contributions at an appropriate rate and reaching a minimum average annual contribution...
- Written Answers — School Meals: School Meals (25 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The school meals programme operated by my Department gives funding through two schemes towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children. The first is the long-standing statutory urban school meals scheme, currently operated by 36 local authorities. The second is the school meals community (local projects) programme through which funding is provided by my Department to...
- Written Answers — Electronic Payments System: Electronic Payments System (24 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: It is government policy to facilitate the greater use of electronic payment systems in the economy in the interests of developing a world class payments environment in Ireland. In this context, the National Payments Implementation Programme Advisory Group, under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach, monitors the growth in electronic payments, the reduction in cash transactions and...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The supplementary allowance (SWA) scheme, including rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The person concerned applied for rent supplement in September 2007. Her application is held pending determination of her entitlement to participate in my Department's Back To Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme. The...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Child benefit (CB) is a universal payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. Studies have shown that poverty is concentrated in larger families. In recognition of this, the child benefit scheme is designed to ensure that additional...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Southern Area of the Health Service Executive has advised that they have no record of this application. The executive further advises that if the person concerned contacts the Community Welfare Officer at her local health centre in Kilmallock (phone: 061 98411), the matter will be dealt with without delay.
- Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (23 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Insured workers are required to pay PRSI contributions based on their level of income. These contributions provide entitlement to benefits and pensions under various social insurance schemes. As such, PRSI contributions are calculated as a percentage of reckonable earnings of employees â subject to various thresholds, allowances and ceilings. Both the employee and his or her employer pay a...