Results 3,121-3,140 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Under measures introduced to encourage the growth of private pension coverage a worker employed under a contract of service may, subject to certain limits, obtain relief in respect of PRSI in respect of contributions made for pension provision. The maximum pension contribution, in any one year, for which a person is entitled to relief, varies and is related to the person's age and expressed...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The social welfare system comprises two types of pension; contributory pensions based on social insurance contributions and non-contributory pensions, payment of which are subject to a means test. The maximum contributory pension is paid at a slightly higher rate; however, the main advantage of contributory pensions is that they are paid regardless of any other income a person might have. In...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Under the Decentralisation Programme 120 posts in my Department are to be decentralised to Buncrana. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) established the Central Applications Facility (CAF) through which all applications for decentralising locations must be submitted. According to figures received in my Department from the CAF, the number of first preference applicants for Buncrana is 34....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: People on a qualifying non-contributory pension or other social welfare payment are normally eligible for a fuel allowance without further means test, subject to the other conditions for entitlement. Other applicant households may have a combined income of up to â¬51.00 above the current maximum weekly contributory old age pension rate, and still qualify for a fuel allowance. Based on this...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: When assessing means for farm assist purposes, account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and property. Capital may include the following: stocks and shares of every description, which are assessed according to their current market value â this includes co-op shares. savings certificates/bonds/national instalment savings, which are assessed...
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: My Department does not have any vacant buildings under its ownership or control. All matters relating to property acquisition and disposal are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, which deals with such matters on behalf of my Department.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: There are approximately 125,000 people aged over 66 currently in receipt of a living alone allowance with a social welfare pension. Generally speaking, my Department does not have information available on the sources of income or the living arrangements of individual pensioners.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a one-parent family payment at the maximum rate for a person with one qualified child dependant. In addition, she is also receiving the fuel allowance for the duration of the fuel season. My Department accepts that she has an ongoing entitlement to one-parent family payment and fuel allowance. However, the person concerned did not have an...
- Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Staff in my Department who use their cars on official business, purchase fuel in the normal way and they are reimbursed on the basis of travel and subsistence claims submitted by them. Staff are not issued with fuel cards.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide income support for employees on low earnings with children and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other Social Welfare payments. My Department undertook an extensive national media advertising campaign regarding the Family...
- Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together. Where couples are actively engaged in a commercial enterprise as a business partnership, they are treated as individual self-employed contributors and are liable to social insurance contributions accordingly. These contributions enable them to build up an insurance record in their own right and to receive the accruing benefits. This...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: Budget 2006 contained a number of 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 who are 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 of the key...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a wide range of means-tested social assistance schemes provided for in Part III of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005. The assessment of means is carried out by local social welfare inspectors and in certain circumstances by other staff of the Department where referral to an inspector is not warranted. My Department currently employs 372 social welfare...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 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 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. It is estimated that some 274,000 people...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a rent supplement to assist eligible people who are unable to provide for their immediate accommodation needs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Rent...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance 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. To qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The person to whom the Deputy refers submitted an application for the Respite Care Grant on 16th August 2006. In the course of processing the claim it was decided that further investigation is required in relation to certain aspects of the application and, accordingly, the claim was forwarded to the Department's Social Welfare Inspector in Claremorris on the 22nd September 2006. A report is...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The introduction of waivers or subsidies in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority. Waste collection and charging arrangements vary considerably and the introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would be complex given the wide range of charging regimes and...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised recruitment body for the civil service and is responsible for the recruitment of all persons, including persons with disabilities, for the main civil service grades. Recruitment competitions run by PAS are open to all, including people with disabilities, subject to their meeting the eligibility requirements of the competition in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)
Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 167, inclusive, together. The cost of increasing the lowest rate of social welfare payment (â¬165.80) by â¬35.50 per week is estimated as â¬835 million in a full year. The cost of increasing all payments made to those under 66 years of age, and not just those on the lowest rate of payment, by â¬35.50 per week, is estimated as â¬1,081million in a...