Results 2,401-2,420 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under certain circumstances a person may be awarded credited social insurance contributions, known as credits, without receiving a benefit or allowance payment. To be entitled to unemployment credits, a person must be available for full-time employment, capable of work and be genuinely seeking work. A deciding officer disallowed the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned from...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The bereavement grant, which is a payment based on PRSI contributions, is designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. The grant is payable on the death of an insured person or a family member, including a child under 18 years, or under 22 years if in full-time education. In the case of persons over these ages, the grant is paid on the basis of their own PRSI...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 328 and 329 together. The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme, introduced from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The policy of the Department of Social and Family Affairs is to ensure cost-effective arrangements for making payments through a range of payment options and that the service is continually adapted by providing access to new payment services and facilities as they become available. Customers opt for a particular payment method having regard to their personal preferences. The range of payment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive, is one of several social assistance schemes which, with effect from 1 May 2004, is subject to a habitual residence condition. The Health Service Executive was contacted regarding this case and has advised that the persons concerned were refused supplementary...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 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 determining entitlement to a supplement in individual cases. Where a person who is caring for an orphan applies for supplementary welfare allowance, orphan's pension or allowance payable in respect of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A deciding officer disallowed the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned from 16 January 2001 to 23 September 2003, on the grounds that he was not unemployed for this period. Consequently, an overpayment of €14,486.46 was assessed on his claim. An initial letter regarding this decision and the overpayment arising was issued to him on 4 December 2003. Following contact with...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Disability Act 2005 provides a new statutory basis for the implementation and compliance monitoring of the 3% employment target in the public sector. The current position in the Department of Social and Family Affairs is that 155, 3.3%, of the total staff are persons with declared disabilities. In line with the provisions of the Disability Act, specific commitments to human resources and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person in question, who is a participant in the back to education allowance scheme, contacted the Department of Social and Family Affairs regarding the recent High Court decision on the subject of discontinuation of summer payment. He also inquired about the reinstatement of postgraduate courses of education under the scheme. Correspondence was received on 14 March and a reply issued to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2006 contained several important measures designed to target resources at particular groups of older people, including farmers. In considering these measures I was anxious to target resources at those at the greatest risk of poverty, to encourage saving and to simplify the system of income support for older people who do not receive contributory pensions. One key measure I was pleased...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

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

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A review of the fuel allowance scheme several years ago considered the option of a lump sum payment but concluded it would present difficulties for recipients in certain respects. A survey of recipients carried out in conjunction with the review showed that a majority favoured weekly payments. There are no plans to change the payment arrangements for the allowance. In addition to the fuel...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity-gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The commission on financial management and control systems in the health service, which reported in 2003, noted that over the years the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of services which might be regarded as non-core activities. It...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefit package of free schemes comprises the electricity and gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence and is available to people living permanently in the State who satisfy specific qualifying criteria. The telephone allowance is applied as a cash credit on recipients' telephone bills. The value of the allowance is set at €20.41 per month —€40.82 per...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 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 decisions on individual claims. This case concerns rent supplement. The Health Service Executive has confirmed that the person concerned has requested a review of the amount...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy is referring to situations where a new baby is hospitalised for an extended period after birth and implications arising from that situation where entitlement to maternity benefit and maternity leave is of a defined duration. Entitlement to maternity benefit is contingent in the first instance on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. The right to maternity leave is established...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I assume the Deputy is referring to equity release products. These and other similar products allow home owners to benefit from some of the capital tied up in their homes, while continuing to live in them. The introduction of these products has implications for social assistance payments where the claimant is aged 65 years or over. Social assistance payments are designed to provide financial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who provide certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. From January this year the maximum rate of carer's allowance for a carer over 66 years of age increased from €169.80 to €200 per week. The maximum rate of the old...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department recognises the rights of customers under the Official Languages Act 2003 to be dealt with in Irish if they so wish and every effort is made to ensure that service through Irish is available and of a very high standard. In line with our responsibilities under the Act, staff of front-line areas have been encouraged and facilitated to attend training courses in Irish language...