Results 3,041-3,060 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together. I attach for your information two tables showing: expenditure in the HSE North East area, which includes county Meath, from 1998 to date and expenditure nationally from 1997 to date, and recipients of rent supplement in county Meath from 2001 to date and recipients nationally from 1997 to date. Expenditure on rent supplement by county...
- Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 327 together. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Rent supplement is calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of â¬13 which each recipient is required to pay from his or her own resources. Many recipients pay more than â¬13 because they are also required to...
- Written Answers — Personal Public Service Numbers: Personal Public Service Numbers (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: My Department took over sole responsibility for the allocation of PPS numbers in June 2000. At that time and to facilitate customer service, all Local and Branch Offices were delegated the task of allocating these numbers as required. However, due to the significant increases in the detection of identity fraud and misrepresentation of documents my Department, after careful consideration,...
- Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Under provisions introduced by Regulations in October 2006 and subsequently in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007, payment of rent supplement may be withheld in respect of rental accommodation where the Health Service Executive has been notified by a housing authority regarding non-compliance with housing standards prescribed in regulations made under Section 18 of the Housing...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The cost of increasing the child dependent allowance by â¬13 per week, from â¬22 to â¬35 per child, is estimated at â¬208 million in a full year. Any increase in the child dependent allowance would have to be considered in a Budgetary context, having regard to available resources and the wider Government agenda.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (9 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 to determine appeals independently of my Department and I have no role in relation to such determinations.
- Written Answers — Cross-Border Projects: Cross-Border Projects (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: There are four main areas of North-South co-operation being undertaken by my Department as follows: Firstly, the all-Ireland Free Travel Scheme for senior residents in all parts of the island was introduced on foot of a commitment in the previous programme for Government (2002-2007). It enables certain people in each jurisdiction to travel free of charge from point to point within the other...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (9 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 to determine appeals independently of my Department and I have no role in relation to such determinations.
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329 to 332, inclusive, together. The Family Support Agency was established in 2003 to bring together the pro-family related programmes and services which are designed to promote local family support, help prevent marital breakdown, promote continuity and stability in family life and support ongoing parenting relationships for children. The Agency's main...
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Due to the large number of organisations funded over the four years in question, it has not been possible to collate all of the relevant information for the Deputy in the short timescale involved. A complete list of all relevant groups with details of funding received is currently being prepared and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Family Support Agency (FSA) was established in 2003 to bring together the pro-family related programmes and services which are designed to promote local family support, help prevent marital breakdown, promote continuity and stability in family life and support ongoing parenting relationships for children. As part of its statutory functions, the Family Support Agency has a responsibility...
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Family and Community Services Resource Centre programme comes under the auspices of the statutory Family Support Agency. The programme provides for a network of Family Resource Centres which aim to help combat disadvantage by supporting the functioning of the family unit. The services provided and activities supported by the resource centres are designed to meet the needs of the local...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The average time for deciding an application for carer's allowance is currently 10.64 weeks. During 2006 the average was just over ten weeks. My Department's claim processing target for Carers Allowance is for 70% of claims to be decided within nine weeks of submission. The number of claims for Carers Allowance submitted in 2006 at nearly 11,000 was more than 20% higher than the total for...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Reach Board was reconstituted earlier this year so that Departments and Agencies making use of Reach services would be involved more closely in relation to current Reach operations. This new Board, together with the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance, are overseeing a review of the new role and operations of the Reach project including that of the public service broker. The review...
- Written Answers — Carer's Strategy: Carer's Strategy (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: One of the key Government commitments in the national partnership agreement " Towards 2016 " is the development of a national carer's strategy and this commitment is reiterated in the Programme for Government. The strategy will focus on supporting informal and family carers in the community. While social welfare supports for carers will clearly be a key issue in the strategy, other issues...
- Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: Poverty proofing was introduced in 1998 on foot of a commitment in the first National Anti-Poverty Strategy. It is defined as "the process whereby Government policies and programmes are assessed at design, implementation and review stages in relation to their impact on poverty and on inequalities which are likely to lead to poverty, with a view to poverty reduction". Since 1998 it has been a...
- Written Answers — Memorandum of Understanding: Memorandum of Understanding (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Department and the Revenue Commissioners are, at present, negotiating a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The new MOU is designed to build on the close co-operation that already exists between this Department and the Revenue Commissioners by improving and intensifying the levels and scope of existing administrative and operational arrangements between the two organisations. To that...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. (HSE) The BSCFA scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each...
- Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (9 Oct 2007)
Martin Cullen: The Early Childcare Supplement (ECS), which is payable in respect of children under the age of 6 years is automatically awarded when Child Benefit is awarded. The majority of Child Benefit and ECS awards are processed either automatically or in a partially automated fashion for children born in Ireland once their birth details are registered with the General Registrar's Office. Parents are...