Results 2,541-2,560 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for a blind pension from my Department, a claimant must satisfy a number of conditions. She/he must be age 18 years of age or over and must be so blind that she/he either cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or cannot continue in his/her ordinary occupation. In addition, the claimant must be habitually resident in the State and satisfy a means-test. A person who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The scheme is provided for under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act. That legislation currently provides that the scheme is administered by the Health Service Executive, under my general direction and control. The positive attributes of the service, to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together. The one-parent family payment is a means tested payment that is intended to assist a lone parent who is bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. In order to qualify for the one-parent family payment, an applicant must satisfy a number of statutory conditions. He or she must have the main care and charge of at least...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary allowance (SWA) scheme is the "safety net" within the overall social welfare system in that, subject to qualifying conditions, it provides assistance to any persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. SWA provides a minimum weekly allowance to eligible people who have insufficient means. The supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the home-maker's scheme which was 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. However, the scheme will not of itself...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 123 and 133 together. The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. In Budget 2006, I provided for a significant increase in the rate of carer's allowance. From January this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The qualification requirements for access to the back to education are the same throughout the State. At present, to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Credited contributions (credits) form an integral part of the social insurance system. The primary purpose of credits is to protect the social insurance entitlement record of insured workers who, for reasons relating either to incapacity, ill-health, unemployment or the provision of care are not in a position to make PRSI payments. In order to qualify for credits, a person must be an employed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 May 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 — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Widows and widowers can qualify for one of a number of different schemes depending on their particular circumstances. The contributory widow(er)s pension is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or that of the deceased spouse. Those qualifying for this benefit are not subject to any means test. Those without the necessary PRSI...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Child poverty is a complex area requiring coordinated action across a range of government services and income support payments. The development of income supports which can make the most effective contribution to child poverty lies within my Department's responsibilities and a series of budgets have increased considerably in real terms the level of resources which are going to families with...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to delivering a high quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme and may include establishment of a customer's social insurance record,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The day to day administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which provides for the payment of rent supplements, is the responsibility of Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims. In order to make a rent supplement payment the Executive must satisfy itself that a bona fide tenancy exists in respect of...

Written Answers — Comhairle Service: Comhairle Service (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Comhairle was established under the Comhairle Act, 2000. Its functions include the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy in relation to social services. Comhairle also has a particular responsibility to assist people with disabilities to identify their needs and access their entitlements. Comhairle carries out its functions in the provision of information primarily through...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Personal Public Service Number (PPS No.) is an individual's unique reference number for dealings with Government Departments and public bodies. My Department is responsible for allocating PPS Numbers for use by people, of any nationality, to access certain public services. A PPS Number does not issue automatically except in the case of children born in Ireland. In all other cases,...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance or BTEA is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. In 2002 the Government, in view of the expenditure constraints facing it at that time, appointed an independent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 May 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 Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of any application for rent supplement from the person concerned...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 298 together. Support of 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 introduced. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The staffing allocation to the Department's Local Office in Coolock, which is located at the Northside Civic Centre, Bunratty Road, Dublin 17, is 27.5 posts. 27 posts are currently filled in this Office. As with all other offices in the Department, the staffing allocation to Coolock is reviewed regularly and adjusted as required by any changes in claim loads or other relevant factors.

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (16 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005, inter alia, extended entitlement to the Respite Care Grant to all carers irrespective of means or contribution record, but subject to certain conditions relating to employment and to a medical report. The person to whom the Deputy refers made a successful application for the Grant in 2005 and payment was made to her in August 2005. Unfortunately, her...