Results 2,041-2,060 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The processing of one-parent family claims has heretofore been carried out in the social welfare services office in Sligo. Following a review of the arrangements for administering the scheme, it was decided that services should in future be provided through my Department's local offices. The primary aim of providing services at local level is to improve customer service by reducing claim...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned appealed a decision to disallow his claim for unemployment assistance. The case was referred to an appeals officer who, following an oral hearing and having considered all the evidence, including that adduced at the hearing, allowed the appeal. My Department has been advised of the decision and is making arrangements to put the claim into payment. Relevant notes of the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The national pensions review was completed by the Pensions Board in November 2005 and published on 17 January 2006. In the context of the issues raised by the Deputy in Question No. 742, the Pensions Board has recommended that retirees should be offered the option of deferring drawing their social welfare pension in exchange for a larger pension starting at a later date. A very approximate...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims. The Dublin-mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that no decision has been made yet in relation to the rent...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (2 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In my role as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, I have not sought advice from public relations consultancy firms or individuals. I have appointed a press adviser, who has previous experience in a Department, on a contract basis for my term of office. The salary for this position is €95,003 together with a private pension contribution of 10% of salary. In addition to his salary, the...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Self-employed workers generally pay class S contributions. The class at which contributions are paid and the number paid establishes the range of benefits and pensions towards which a contributor can build up entitlement. Class S contributors can accrue entitlement to the following payments: widow's or widower's contributory pension, orphan's contributory allowance, old age contributory...

Written Answers — Information Technology Initiatives: Information Technology Initiatives (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department will provide payment production services for the early child care supplement scheme on an agency basis for the office of the Minister for Health and Children. The scheme is to come into effect from April 2006. Payment of the supplement will be made on a quarterly basis, and three payments will issue during 2006, with the first payment expected to be made in the summer. However,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned exhausted his entitlement to unemployment benefit on 2 March 2005. He applied for unemployment assistance from 3 March 2005. Several letters were issued to him requesting details of his efforts to find work. When no response was received, a deciding officer closed the claim. A letter advising the person concerned of that decision was issued to him on 3 May 2005. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function regarding decisions on individual claims. Section 195(b) Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 provides that the HSE may decide that a person is not entitled to SWA where it...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs and who do not have accommodation available from any other...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to takes Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, SWA, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, HSE. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims or in the role of the executive's appeals process. Where a person is dissatisfied with the outcome...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims. Article 9(2)(d) of SI 382 of 1995 provides that a rent supplement shall not be payable in circumstances where a person has vacated...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The total number of persons on the live register as of end January 2006 is 160,100. The live register comprises 64,100 people receiving unemployment benefit, 86,100 receiving unemployment assistance and 9,900 signing for credits. Based on the seasonally adjusted live register of 157,400 and using CSO methodology, the estimated standardised unemployment rate for end January 2006 is 4.3%. A...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The scheme is open to applications from June to end-September each year. The statistics requested by the Deputy in relation to allowances awarded for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively are set out in the following table. Statistics...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The statistics are not available in the format requested by the Deputy but I am providing details of the average payment under the scheme at the end of each of the last two years. The details have been compiled from data that is maintained on a local office catchment area basis and these do not correspond exactly with county boundaries. 31/12/2004 30/12/2005 â'¬ â'¬ National...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The administration of the early child care supplement scheme will be undertaken by this Department on an agency basis on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children. An assessment of the administrative implications for the department is in train. The assessment covers areas such as the development of the computer system, definition of administrative and control procedures, office space...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 349 together. Under the Government decentralisation programme announced in budget 2004, my Department is to relocate 230 posts to Donegal town and 120 posts to Buncrana. The decentralisation implementation group, DIG, report to the Minister for Finance on 19 November 2004, recommended those locations and organisations to be included in the first phase...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Disability allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment which is paid to people with a disability who are substantially handicapped in undertaking work which would otherwise be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications. The right of a person to retain a social security payment when moving to another member state is governed by national legislation and EU...