Results 1,961-1,980 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the Health Service Executive. The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced One-Parent Family Payment (OFP). The CWS has advised that she also has a maintenance payment in addition to her OFP. Consequently, rent supplement is being paid at a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (12 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: There is no discrimination on grounds of nationality in social welfare legislation and to introduce such a provision would be contrary to the equality principles that Ireland has adopted in our own equality legislation, the Treaties of the European Community and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and other international conventions. The criteria that have been incorporated into the social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: A child benefit claim was received from the person concerned in October 2006. Following correspondence with the person concerned, it has now been confirmed that the child is residing in Ireland on a permanent basis since September 2007. Child Benefit has been awarded from 1 October 2007 and payment will be lodged to the person's nominated bank account on 1 April 2008. Further...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. A mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2008)

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 Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 to 328, inclusive, together. The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of my Department. A key objective of my Department's control strategy is to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time. My Department undertakes surveys of the levels of fraud and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: My Department did not incur any expenditure due to archaeological works/survey in 2007 and to date in 2008.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the social welfare rules where a person in receipt of a payment dies, the payment may continue to the spouse or partner for a period of six weeks after death. The same applies where a person for whom an increase in payment is being made dies, for example, a spouse/partner or child. In these circumstances, that increase in payment continues to be paid to the main claimant for six weeks....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The number of civil servants in my Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007 was 1054, broken down as follows: 2005:164 2006: 640 2007: 250 Employee welfare is a high priority for my Department and stress management courses and talks, provided by the Department's Staff Development Unit and its Employee Assistance Service, form part of a...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 139 together. In 2007, Child Benefit (CB) payments totaling some €4.78m were made for 2,300 families, in respect of 4,300 children living outside the Republic of Ireland in another EU/EEA country. In addition, Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) payments to the value of €1.12m were made in respect of 1,700 non-resident children under the age of 6....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: 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 to this payment. Each application is determined by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 140 together. The person concerned, who is self-employed in the construction industry, applied for jobseeker's allowance on 21 January 2008. A Deciding Officer assessed his weekly means at €385.00 and awarded the allowance to him at the weekly rate of €40.00 from 21 January 2008. A first payment, including arrears, issued to him on 25 February...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (6 Mar 2008)

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 — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The person concerned came to Ireland, from Nigeria, in February 2003 and first applied for One Parent Family Payment in July 2005. Her circumstances were investigated by a Social Welfare Inspector who reported that, in her view, the person concerned had not established that she is a separated person within the meaning of the Social Welfare legislation and that there is evidence of an ongoing...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I appreciate what the Senator said. All colleagues have welcomed the fact that the carers' strategy is under way. We want to get it completed. It is also very much focused on the Towards 2016 agreement and the social partnership process. The Taoiseach's Department is chairing it and it is already sitting and examining the issues. The issues the Senator mentioned, and many more, are...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I cannot put the laying of a report before the House into legislation, however I accept the sentiment. As the Senator knows, the domiciliary care allowance and other changes have been made between my Department and the Department of Health and Children, where we are taking them on board. Yesterday I told the Senator we will take on the customers on an "as is" basis and see how we develop it...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I thank the Senators on all sides of the House for their contributions to the Social Welfare Bill. We have had a very worthwhile discussion on the two Bills, one before Christmas and this second Bill. I sincerely hope some of the changes we have spoken on, particularly on lone parents, will form some of the basis of the legislative changes we will be able to make next year and that we will...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand the Senator's sentiment in this regard. We have had extensive debate on this issue in the Dáil, at the committee and in the Seanad. My opinion is well known. We meet all our United Nations requirements under the law in regard to looking after those in the asylum seekers system. As the Senator rightly said we do not pay over cash but we look after these people by putting...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Mar 2008)

Martin Cullen: The rent supplement scheme is an individual payment to a person who needs support within the system. The payment is not a payment to a landlord. On some occasions, we pay direct to the landlord on behalf of the client. This may be for money management reasons for people who are not capable, for whatever reason, of managing the resources themselves, and happens in a small number of cases....