Results 3,021-3,040 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Due to the sad and untimely death of the Branch Manager in Dunmanway an arrangement had to be put in place immediately to ensure continuity of service to customers. The number of customers involved include approximately 230 in receipt of a jobseekers payment and a further 120 on farm assist, back to work and pre retirement allowance. These customers are being facilitated by neighbouring local...

Written Answers — Regulatory Impact Assessments: Regulatory Impact Assessments (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: My Department has produced three Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) since the Government Decision to introduce this policy. These related to the Citizens Information Bill 2006; the inclusion of trust-based Retirement Annuity Contracts under the relevant provisions of the Pensions Act; and amendments to provisions relating to the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. My Department is fully...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The overall goal of my Department's Debt Management Strategy is to actively pursue the recovery of debt to maximise recovery levels, with due regard to value for money and with particular emphasis on recovery from people no longer dependant on welfare payments. The objectives of the strategy are To maximise the recovery of overpayments To efficiently record, report and monitor the occurrence...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: My Department identified a requirement for a social welfare local office in Carrigaline and requested the Office of Public Works which has responsibility for the provision of all new office accommodation for my Department to provide this. The OPW is following up on this request and it is hoped to have a new office in Carrigaline in 2008.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The farm assist scheme, which introduced special arrangements for farmers on low incomes, was provided for in the Social Welfare Act, 1999 and came into operation with effect from 7 April 1999. The statistics requested by the Deputy are set out in the table. End 2002 End 2003 End 2004 End 2005 End 2006 No. of recipients 8,498 8,703 8,601 7,880 7,500 There are currently 7,390 farm assist...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Under the Decentralisation Programme, the Department is to relocate 85 posts to Carrickmacross. According to figures received from the Central Application Facility (CAF), through which all applications for decentralisation locations must be submitted, 64 applicants applied for Carrickmacross before the priority application date of 7 September 2004. Since this date, there have been 12 new...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. Appeals Officers are statutorily appointed and are independent in determining appeals. I have no role in relation to such determinations.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has stated that it has received an application for mortgage interest supplement from the persons concerned in respect of their residence which was re-mortgaged with a new mortgage provider in December 2006. The property was originally financed by a local authority loan. The Executive has advised that it has requested the persons concerned to provide...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (11 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Household Budget scheme is available to all social welfare customers, including those aged over 65, who are paid by means of Electronic Information Transfer (EIT) at a post office. The Household Budget scheme is a free service operated by An Post and provides an easy-pay facility for such social welfare customers to pay household bills. If the Deputy is aware of a person aged over 65...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together. I am not aware of the reports mentioned by the Deputy regarding Irish Child Benefit but I am aware of a recent report in the Daily Express, dated 24th September last, regarding UK Child Benefit. Claims for Child Benefit are only put into payment when all necessary documents including original birth certificates have been obtained and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: My Department assists and encourages the unemployed, particularly the long term unemployed, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to training or education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service. These measures include the payment of income support through the back to education allowance scheme to customers who are...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Pensions Board has responsibility under the Pensions Act to monitor and supervise the operation of pension schemes. The Pensions Act includes provision for the disclosure of a range of information to scheme members in relation to pension benefits. The issues in this case relate to the sale of financial products, which is regulated by the Financial Regulator, who comes under the aegis of...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The information requested is currently being compiled within my Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: My Department has not entered into any leasing arrangements for properties for its use. This responsibility is vested in the Office of Public Works. The office accommodation currently used by my Department includes: 13 Headquarter buildings in Dublin (3 of which are used by agencies of the Department); 7 Decentralised Offices (two in Sligo and one each in Longford, Letterkenny, Waterford,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to assist eligible families with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. Lone parents or couples may qualify for payment of an allowance if...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Due to the level of detail required it has not been possible to collate the information in the limited time available. The data requested are currently being prepared and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy when they become available.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity, natural gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence are non-cash benefits available to pensioners living permanently in the State who satisfy specific qualifying conditions. The scheme is also available to customers under age 66 years who satisfy the conditions of the scheme. There are currently some 350,000...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Most of the administrative expenditure incurred by my Department is not brought to account on a scheme specific basis. In many cases, services are shared between several scheme areas. Accordingly, it is not possible to identify all the costs associated with administering the State contributory scheme. The further development of systems to support the Management Information Framework and the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The information required by the Deputy is contained within the following tabular statement: Table 1. Expenditure on Schemes Providing for People of Pension Age, 2000-2006 (€000) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 State Pension Contributory 577,365 716,474 868,529 946,902 1,050,348 1,152,849 1,293,702 State Pension Transition 594,239 697,349 803,413 898,981 983,706 1,060,052...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (10 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on my behalf 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 means test, has applied for any other benefit or allowances, has registered for work with FÁS if they are of working age and satisfies a habitual residency test...