Results 3,221-3,240 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 162 and 375 together. In the case referred to by the Deputy, a claim was made for a Qualified Adult Allowance (QAA) on an Invalidity Pension in respect of the claimant's partner. The application for a QAA was refused as social welfare legislation does not provide for the payment of the QAA to same-sex partners. The decision to disallow payment of the QAA was...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2006 provided for an increase of €5 in the weekly rate of fuel allowance. At the time, my Department provided details of this by way of a press release outlining all of the Budget improvements in social welfare payments. As the fuel allowance is paid on a seasonal basis, from end of September to mid April of the following year, the most recent release was aimed at reminding the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004, a woman may be entitled to statutory minimum maternity leave of 22 weeks. Membership of an occupational pension scheme must continue while she is on statutory maternity leave. A member of a defined benefit scheme will continue to accrue pensionable service during the period of this statutory leave. If the employer pays the woman during the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I have examined "Caring Before Their Time? Research and Policy Perspectives on Young Carers" by Barnardos and The Children's Research Centre, which was published in September 2004. I was particularly struck by the fact that of the estimated 3,000 young carers who are providing some care, there are over 300 carers between the ages of 15 and 17 years of age who are providing full-time care. It...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a number of illness and disability payments including illness benefit, invalidity pension and disability allowance. In the first instance, entitlement to these payments is subject to the applicant satisfying the medical criteria which apply and which are prescribed in legislation. In addition, certain PRSI contribution conditions must be met in the case of illness...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Farm assist is a means-tested scheme providing weekly income support to low-income farmers. For the purpose of determining the rate of farm assist payable, deductions are allowed from net income in respect of qualified children, with the balance assessed at 70%. In this regard, the means test is more favourable than the scheme's predecessor, the unemployment assistance scheme for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 391 together. Establishing a cost associated with aligning maternity benefit to the minimum wage would depend on the parameters used. It is estimated, on the basis of a rate of €298.65 per week for all maternity benefit claimants, that it would cost an estimated €38 million. This assumes a 39-hour week at the existing minimum hourly rate of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Decentralisation Programme 220 posts in my Department are to be decentralised to Carrick-on-Shannon. According to figures received from the Central Application Facility (CAF), through which all applications for decentralisation locations must be submitted, 273 applicants applied for Carrick-on-Shannon before the priority applicant date of 7 September 2004. Since this date, there...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 419 together. The review of the operation of the habitual residence condition was completed by my Department in July this year and, following consultation with other relevant Departments, is being brought to the attention of the Government in the near future and following Government approval, it is expected to be published. Deciding officers in my...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377, 404 and 405 together. The legislation governing the Occupational Injuries Scheme provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has contracted that disease in the course of their employment. Where a person has contracted one of the diseases listed in the...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 378, 379 and 401 together. Since the introduction of the habitual residence condition in May 2004, some 14,600 claims to child benefit have been decided following a detailed examination of the habitual residence aspect. Of these only 10% were refused, while in 90% of the cases the condition was found to be satisfied. The EU Regulations provide that migrant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Over 110,000 people receive an SWA payment each week. Net expenditure on the scheme in 2005 was €654.6m, including administration costs of €47m. Some €708.6m has been provided for the scheme in 2006 including provision for administration costs of €51.4m. A breakdown for each of the various components is shown in the following tabular statement. These expenditure data exclude the cost...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department's policy is to ensure that a range of payment options is available to customers and that the service is continually improved by providing access to the wide range of payment options and new facilities now available. The current range of payment options offered by my Department includes payment made directly to the customer's bank or building society account, at post offices by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: For the period 1994 to 1997 personal rates of payment increased by between 9.8% and 15.6% depending on payment type, while for the period 2003 to 2006 personal rates increased by between 22.3% and 42.3%.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together. The numbers of people recorded on the Live Register who have been in receipt of unemployment payments at end year over the past five years are detailed in tabular format. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 (at end-Oct) *Jobseekers Benefit 66,709 75,371 77,781 66,249 61,728 56,038 *Jobseekers Allowance 73,959 78,897 80,725 81,067 83,926...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The main business of my Department is the provision of income support, including insurance based payments, social assistance payments, associated secondary benefits and universal schemes such as child benefit. My Department is also responsible for the provision, either directly or indirectly through its agencies, of other services designed to support individuals and families in participating...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 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 (14 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 be only marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other Social Welfare payments. As with all social welfare schemes, applicants must complete the relevant application form...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Entitlement to maternity benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to maternity leave — legislation for which is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Where women have accrued the requisite number of contributions required to establish entitlement and have been certified by their employers as being entitled to statutory maternity leave, maternity...

Written Answers — Community Welfare Service: Community Welfare Service (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Earlier this year the Government decided to implement the recommendations of the Core Functions of the Health Service Report. This provided for the transfer of certain functions, mainly from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department. The main element of the decision was that income support and maintenance schemes, including the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), and...