Results 3,081-3,100 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The back to education allowance (BTEA) facilitates people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The scheme enables qualified people who have been getting a social welfare payment to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course. To qualify for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under the terms of the scheme, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential once-off cost, such as a rent deposit, which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 339 and 340 together. I am advised by the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office that oral hearings are held on a regular basis Ballina, Castlebar, Claremorris, Swinford and Westport Co. Mayo. I am further advised that the Appeals Office's policy is to hold hearings at venues as convenient as possible to the appellant. However, in exceptional...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Lone parents are not barred from receiving back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA). 40% of all BSCFA payments are made to lone parents, benefiting more than 30,000 lone parent households. The BSCFA scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Oct 2007)

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

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Oct 2007)

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

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The five Statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department, at present, are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle), the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. No statutory boards, agencies or other such authorities, under the remit...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: The five Statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department, at present, are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle), the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. There was one appointment to the Pensions Board, with effect from 1st...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (2 Oct 2007)

Martin Cullen: Combating poverty and building an inclusive society are key priorities for the Government. The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion) 2007-2016 and the social inclusion commitments in the National Development Plan were drawn up in consultation with the social partners and after a wide-ranging consultation process with other stakeholders. The NAPinclusion adopts a lifecycle...

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

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 97 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Sep 2007)

Martin Cullen: The social security rights of people living and working in the EU are governed by EU Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72. The Regulations co-ordinate social security systems and are designed to ensure that people are not disadvantaged by moving within the EU to take up work. This is achieved primarily by setting out rules as to which State's social security system covers a person when, for...

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

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has advised that it has received an application for rent supplement from the person concerned and has further advised that a decision on entitlement will be made following determination of her entitlement to back to education allowance. People in full-time education are excluded normally from receipt of rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Sep 2007)

Martin Cullen: Credited contributions, or 'credits' as they are termed, are intended to protect the entitlements, particularly the pension rights, of employees and other persons participating in the social insurance system when they are ill or unemployed. A person who is providing full time care and attention as a carer is awarded credits on the same basis as if they were out of the workforce due to...

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

Martin Cullen: The back to education allowance (BTEA) facilitates people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The scheme enables qualified people who have been getting a social welfare payment to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course. The payment...

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

Martin Cullen: People in full-time education are normally excluded from receipt of rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, people participating in approved courses under the back-to-education allowance scheme may apply for rent supplement in respect of private rented accommodation if they have not been previously getting a supplement. A person who has been receiving rent...

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

Martin Cullen: The Health Service Executive has advised that the rent supplement claim has been re-instated in this case with effect from 1st June 2007 and that arrears of €3614 has issued to this person this week for the period June 2007 to September 2007.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Sep 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 Executive has further advised that the person concerned should contact her Community Welfare Officer concerning any difficulties she may have concerning payment of rent arrears.

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

Martin Cullen: In assessing means for social assistance purposes account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and property (except the home). Cash income may be derived from a wide variety of sources including earnings from employment, income from self-employment including farming, income from foreign social security pensions and income from occupational...

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

Martin Cullen: Improvements in welfare rates of payment are announced on Budget day in early December each year. Local authorities are responsible for determining rents payable under the differential rents scheme including the income to be assessed for this purpose, subject to broad principles laid down by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that these guidelines...

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

Martin Cullen: Rent supplements are subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for rent supplement may incur. Rent supplement is not normally paid where the rent is in excess of the limits. Notwithstanding these limits, under existing arrangements the Health Service Executive may, in certain circumstances, exceed the rent levels as an exceptional measure, for example: where there are special...