Results 3,261-3,280 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (16 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In order to qualify for the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory) a person must, amongst other qualifying conditions, achieve a yearly average of at least 48 contributions paid or credited on his/her social insurance record. Reduced pensions are paid to those with yearly averages as low as 10 contributions and arrangements are also in place for the payment of pro-rata pensions to...

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

Séamus Brennan: One of the qualifying conditions for state pension (contributory) requires a person to have a yearly average of 10 paid or credited contributions from 1953 or from the date of entry into insurance (whichever is the later) to the end of the last complete contribution year before reaching pension age. In order to qualify for the maximum rate a yearly average of 48 contributions is required. The...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (16 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Pensions Board The chairperson and members of the Pensions Board are appointed by way of Ministerial order in accordance with the provisions of Section 9(2) and the First Schedule of the Pensions Act...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The provision of occupational pensions in Ireland is on a voluntary basis and depends on the willingness of employers to contribute to and maintain schemes for their employees. Defined benefit provision, in recent years, has been under pressure because of volatility in the stock markets and increasing liabilities arising from demographic pressures, low interest rates, increasing wage costs...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department currently has 65 Branch Offices located at various locations throughout the country. Each Branch Office is managed and operated, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an Agent for the Department in the area served by the office. As part of the terms and conditions of their appointment, Branch Managers are required to provide sufficient...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 456 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 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. Under the rules of the scheme, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person after the payment of rent has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is and 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides child income support in a number of ways. The principal support is child benefit, CB, a universal payment which is neutral vis-a-vis the employment status of the child's parents and does not contribute to poverty traps. In addition to CB, child dependant increases, CDIs, are paid to social welfare recipients in respect of qualified child dependants. At one point there...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is intended as a contribution towards meeting the full cost of school clothing and footwear. Budget 2006 provided for a number of improvements to the scheme. These include – an increase of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Social Welfare Regulations provide that the Christmas Bonus and the Free Fuel Allowance are payable only to persons in receipt of pensions and long-term Social Welfare payments. The person concerned is in receipt of illness benefit which is a short-term Social Welfare payment and therefore he does not qualify for either payment of the Christmas Bonus or the Free Fuel Allowance. An...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Health Service Executive has advised that an application was made by the person concerned in August 2006 but it was disallowed. Her household income as assessed was substantially above the prescribed limit for entitlement to the allowance. I understand that the Health Service Executive have been in direct contact with the Deputy on this case.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 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. A number of improvements have been made...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 355 together. My Department assists and encourages the long term unemployed, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service. One significant measure is the back to work allowance scheme which incentivises and...

Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department undertook a programme to have all of the Department's 140 offices tested for radon levels in 2004. To date over 100 offices have been tested with the remaining 40 expected to be completed by early 2007. Of the offices tested, 5 indicated radon levels above the National reference Level. An approved company has carried out remedial work in these locations and the offices were...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Supply contracts for my Department's energy requirements are negotiated by the Office of Public Works through the Government Supplies Agency. Electricity supplies are provided by the Electricity Supply Board and Energia Ltd. Natural gas is supplied by Bord Gáis and liquefied petroleum gas by Calor Gas Ltd., while heating oil is supplied by Texaco (Irl) Ltd. For the 2005 year the costs of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In 2005 my Department spent a total of €45,924.19 on bottled and filtered tap water. Figures in relation to the quantity of water this represents are not available. The following is a breakdown of suppliers and amounts paid to each supplier. Supplier Amount paid € All Water Systems Ltd 5,032.34 Ballygowan Water 3,183.08 Castle Consultants Ltd 10,856.26 EW Technologies 2,759.82...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I am aware of the campaign to which the Deputy refers. EU Regulations provide that migrant workers who are EEA nationals, i.e. EEA nationals who have been employed since coming to this country, are entitled to payment of family benefits under the same conditions as Irish nationals and the habitual residence condition does not apply in their case. The effect of the condition, therefore, is...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has overall responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need intensive help and advice in coping with their debt problems. There are 53 independent companies nationwide operating the service. The MABS service has been allocated €16.4 million this year to ensure the continued development of the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years (from 1994) spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. The scheme will not of itself...