Results 2,261-2,280 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I take the point. We will not go through it again. We had a good debate a few moments ago on the reasoning behind not making two payments. Deputy McCormack may wish to look at the transcripts of that debate. I will find another occasion to go through the matter with the Deputy if he wishes. In reply to Deputy Boyle's question on the FIS, 17,445 people are currently in receipt of this payment....

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It is in legislation.

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The average FIS payment is about——

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Sorry.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, and 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 certain people with disabilities and people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. The scheme provides free travel on...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive payments with meeting the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. In addition, many of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Diet supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Any person who is receiving a social welfare or health service executive payment, who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and who is unable to provide for his or her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The application for a respite care grant from the person to whom the Deputy refers was successful. The payment issued on 28 February 2006.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In order to be entitled to unemployment benefit, UB, or unemployment assistance, UA, social welfare legislation provides that, among other conditions, a person must satisfy the condition of genuinely seeking work. A table showing the number of customers who made an application for unemployment assistance in 2005 together with those who were disallowed as not genuinely seeking work is set out...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (9 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I will be representing the Government in Boston at a number of engagements, events and festivities to celebrate and mark St. Patrick's Day in the USA. My itinerary includes an address that will focus on Ireland's knowledge economy to the Irish Association at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an address at a breakfast to mark the expansion of the operations of the Irish software...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Reach unit reports to my Department and is a central piece of infrastructure for e-government in Ireland. Funding for the project was provided by the information society fund through a ring-fenced subhead in my Department's Vote. Total expenditure on Reach to the end of 2005 was just under €37 million and the estimate for 2006 is €11.5 million. A number of services have been developed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Where a deckhand is paid solely by reference to a share in the catch, they are considered to be insurable at the Class S rate of PRSI. This entitles them to the following benefits: widow's or widower's contributory pension, orphan's contributory allowance, old age contributory pension, maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and bereavement grant. Where a deckhand is paid a set wage, even where...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 458 together. In making a decision on an unemployment payment claim, a deciding officer will take all relevant factors into account including the level of job opportunities available and the person's availability for and his or her efforts to find work. The onus is on the customer to prove to the satisfaction of the deciding officer that he or she...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme, BSCFA, 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 back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Responsibility for policy to combat violence against women rests with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The national steering committee on violence against women is chaired by my colleague the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Frank Fahey, and includes representatives from the Departments of Health and Children, the Environment,...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: An increase in workforce participation of older people is one of the more important means of ensuring the sustainability of pensions systems in the future and has been recognised as such internationally. It is important that we encourage and facilitate people who would like to continue to work beyond normal retirement age. The Government is already committed to removing the retirement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme 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. 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...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain older people or people with a disability with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. In line with other social assistance schemes, a means test is applied to the carer's allowance so as to ensure that limited resources are directed to those...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456, 457 and 472 together. Support for carers has been a priority of Government since 1997. Payments to carers have been greatly improved over that period and qualifying conditions for carers allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carers benefit and the respite care payment have been...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Mar 2006)

Séamus Brennan: PRSI Class D, provides social insurance coverage for permanent and pensionable employees in the public and civil service who were recruited prior to 6 April 1995. Historically, most public servants did not pay full social insurance cover as their occupational pension arrangements were different from people outside the Civil Service and public service. Public servants employed after April...