Results 2,881-2,900 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Some 264,400 people â 145,800 with basic fuel allowance and 118,600 with smokeless fuel supplement â benefited from the national fuel scheme in 2005 at a cost of â¬85.4 million. It is estimated that some 274,000 people â 151,000 with basic fuel allowance and 123,000 with smokeless fuel supplement â will benefit in 2006 at an estimated annual cost â¬125.1 million.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The living alone allowance or living alone increase as it is now known, is an additional payment of â¬7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to providing a 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 relevant eligibility conditions. Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on the applicant satisfying medical, means and residency conditions....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 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 age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 10 April 2006. The deciding officer disallowed the claim on 30 June 2006 on the grounds that the person's means exceeded the means limits for that scheme. The means in question are derived from farming, where there is a disregard of the first â¬580 of weekly income for a married couple in carers cases, while claimants for disability...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: I recently announced that all time based restrictions on travel on public transport services for holders of free travel passes were officially lifted with effect from 25 September 2006. This has removed morning and evening peak-times restrictions for holders of free travel passes, which have been in existence for almost 40 years.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: It is CIE policy to restrict free travel pass holders to day return tickets only, when travelling by train. Where a return journey is not made on the same day CIE policy dictates that a single journey ticket is required for each journey, while any change in this policy is a matter for CIE, the issue is being taken up by my officials.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: My Department is conscious of the need to control and prevent abuse of the free travel scheme. In the first instance, any abuse of the scheme is a matter for direct control by the transport operators concerned. However the Department co-operates to the greatest extent possible with transport operators in dealing with fraud and abuse of the system. Transport operators are continually updated...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: In the last budget, I announced a wide range of important measures for non-contributory pensioners, including farmers. These included: an increase of â¬16 per week (9.6%) for all non-contributory pensions, which means that significant progress has been made towards the achievement of the government's commitment to bring the basic state pension to over â¬200 per week by 2007; an increase in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Supporting and recognising carers in our society 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 extended....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 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. The purpose of the allowance is to replace the weekly social welfare payment that the applicant will have been...
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: In the current year, I have met with one group representing unmarried fathers. The group in question, the Unmarried Fathers of Ireland, received funding in 2005 from the Agency. The Unmarried Fathers of Ireland received a grant of â¬3,000 towards the provision of counselling. Another group, the Unmarried and Separated Fathers of Ireland, received a grant for â¬4,000 towards the provision...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Qualification for Disability Allowance depends on an applicant passing a medical examination and a means test. An applicant must be found to have an injury, disease, illness or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be expected to continue for at least one year. The applicant concerned was examined by a Medical Assessor of my Department on 5/9/2006 and found to be not...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. A person may qualify for payment of a back to school clothing and footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. The BSCFA scheme provides a one-off...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 4 July 2006. His claim is currently being examined. Upon completion of enquiries a decision will be made and he will be notified of the outcome. He is currently in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at the weekly rate of â¬165.80. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The establishment of the Health Service Executive prompted a fresh consideration of the role and structure of the Community Welfare Service, and of the most appropriate location for the service in the future. The Commission on Financial Management and...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The social security rights of people living and working in the EU are governed by EU Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72. The Regulations co-ordinate social security systems and are designed to ensure that people are not disadvantaged by moving within the EU to take up work. This is achieved primarily by setting out rules as to which State's social security system a person will pay contributions...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 411 together. On the 28th of September 2006 I was pleased to introduce a new enhanced standard State Non-Contributory pension. The changes announced take effect from Friday, 29th September for those over 66 years and include significant increases in the means disregard from â¬7.60 per week to â¬20 per week. Over 30,000 pensioners who were in receipt...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Oct 2006)
Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 413 together. In the last Budget, I announced a wide range of important measures for non-contributory pensioners. These included a significant increase in the means disregard from â¬7.60 per week to â¬20 per week. Consequent on the increase in the means disregard to â¬20 per week a single person, with no other means, can have up to â¬36,000 in...