Results 32,581-32,600 of 33,581 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: With regard to that exceptional needs payment, which is very helpful for people in terms of a deposit, I understood they could not get rent in advance. However, I read in the Department's policy document that they can get rent in advance. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: There is discretion in that regard.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: In regard to the Department's remit for the water conservation grant scheme has that process ceased?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: What was the total number of applications? The figure I have in that regard is 887,000.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: Was the Department of Social Protection reimbursed that money?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: By whom?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: What was the total reimbursement?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: Was all that money recouped from the former Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: On HAP, Ms O'Donoghue provided figures earlier in respect of the number of people who have transferred to this scheme. It is stated on page 49 of the report that up to end 2015, 18 of the 31 local authorities were operating the scheme. The target is to achieve an additional 10,000 transferred cases in 2016. Has that target been achieved?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: Am I correct that there are 50,000 cases yet to be transferred over?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: What is the Department's strategy in terms of the transfer process?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: The important thing in this regard for the applicant is whether they end up with a local authority house or a private house under the HAP scheme. I was told by a council on Monday that applicants have no choice from now on; HAP is the only game in town. This means a person on a local authority waiting list will be either lucky and get a local authority house or unlucky and be accommodated...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that. I just want to know about the transfer process. Does the Department randomly hand over files to the local authorities or are cases selected on the basis of the length of time people have been on the waiting lists or in receipt of rent allowance?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: Yes. Does that still exist?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that. I am obviously not making myself clear. The point I am making is that in terms of the handing-over process a person in receipt of the payment will either end up in a private house under the HAP scheme or be lucky enough to get a local authority house.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: Good. I welcome that clarification.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: I am not questioning that. It would be helpful if Ms O'Donoghue could forward a note to the committee on how the system operates because there is confusion in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Maoiniú Údarás na Gaeltachta (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: 17. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht cé mhéid airgid a chuir an Rialtas ar fáil d'Údarás na Gaeltachta sna blianta 2015 agus 2016 agus i mbuiséad 2017; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [31149/16]

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Development Programme Projects (20 Oct 2016)

Catherine Connolly: 20. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of money that was made available to which counties under the town and village renewal scheme in tabular form; specifically which towns and villages; of those funds made available, the proportion that was used; the review process and analysis in place for the effectiveness of the scheme; the results of such a review; and...