Results 3,281-3,300 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme (SWA) is administered by some 700 Community Welfare Officers and 59 Superintendent Community Welfare Officers and supporting staff, within the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive. Over 110,000 people receive an SWA payment each week. €733.6m has been provided for the scheme in 2006 including provision for administration costs...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (22 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The 2007 Abridged Estimates assumes an increase in the employee PRSI ceiling from the current €46,600 figure to €48,800 per annum — an increase of €2,200. This is an increase of approximately 4.8% and is in line with projected earnings increases. The 2007 Abridged Estimates assume no increase in the PRSI thresholds or exemption limits. The employee PRSI ceiling is reviewed annually...

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

Séamus Brennan: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive, a weekly or monthly rent or mortgage interest supplement is available to assist eligible people who are unable to meet their immediate accommodation needs through their own resources. Under standard supplementary welfare allowance assessment...

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

Séamus Brennan: I assume the changes to which the Deputy refers are the recently announced increases in the level of the electricity and gas allowances. In order to cover the 33.8% increase in the cost of natural gas, from 1 October I increased the value of the natural gas allowance to cover increased standing charges and the associated VAT as well as additional kilowatt hours usage. This means that the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 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...

Citizens Information Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank all those who contributed to a long debate on the Citizens Information Bill. I was able to listen to every speaker who contributed. I took careful notes of the points made by Deputies on all sides of the House. I thank them for giving the Bill such detailed and serious consideration and I look forward to teasing out some of the outstanding issues on Committee and Remaining Stages...

Citizens Information Bill 2006: Referral to Select Committee (23 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs, in accordance with Standing Order 120(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 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. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable where a person is absent from the State. The Health Service Executive has advised that it ceased payment of rent supplement to the person concerned for the period she...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Social welfare legislation provides for PRSI refunds to be made on contributions to a personal retirement savings account (PRSA) or a retirement annuity contract (RAC) where the contributions are paid by an employed contributor i.e. an employee, or a self-employed worker who pays income tax through the PAYE system i.e. a proprietary director. In relation to additional voluntary contribution...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is paid on a weekly basis over a period of 52 weeks, taking into account a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 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. The Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If she requires assistance with rent, she should make an application for rent supplement at...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Social welfare legislation provides for payments made towards future pension provision by either an employed contributor in receipt of reckonable earnings, or a self-employed worker who is in receipt of reckonable emoluments and pays income tax through the PAYE system, to be exempted from liability for PRSI contributions. With regard to self-employed contributors who are outside the PAYE...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for rent supplement may incur. The objective is to ensure that rent supplement is not paid in respect of overly expensive accommodation. Rent supplement is not normally paid where the rent is in excess of the limits because the personal contribution to rent made by the tenant should not be such that their post...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 21st February 2006. His case was considered by the Department's medical adviser who expressed the opinion that he was not medically qualified for the allowance. The person concerned appealed this decision and was subsequently found to be medically qualified. He was awarded disability allowance in August 2006, backdated to 22nd...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: An earnings limit was introduced for deserted wife's benefit in 1992. The limit, which applied only to new claims after August 1992, was set at €12, 697.38 a year (gross earnings). Where earnings are in excess of €12,697.38 a year, there may be entitlement to a reduced rate of payment of deserted wife's benefit, provided gross earnings do not exceed €17,776.33 a year. Following the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned claimed jobseekers allowance on 19 October 2006. The Deciding Officer disallowed the claim on the grounds that the person was not genuinely seeking employment. He appealed against this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 25 October 2006. In accordance with the statutory requirements the relevant departmental papers and comments of my Department were...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The projected outturn for social insurance contribution income in 2006 is €6,872 million. The corresponding forecast revenue in 2007, on a pre-Budget basis, is €7,470 million. The make-up of both years' figures, as between employers, employees and the self-employed, is as follows: 2006 Projected Pre-Budget 2007 Outturn Forecast € million € million Employers 5,096 5,546...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under the terms of supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a recipient of a social welfare or Health Services Executive payment who has exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition which he/she is unable to...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Over the period of my Department's sectoral plan under the Disability Act, 2005 (2006/2009), my Department aims to deliver support to people with disabilities to help them achieve an appropriate level of independence by achieving their full potential through accessing further education, developing life skills and engaging in employment. My Department will continue to provide appropriate...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Christmas bonus payment is paid to recipients of state pension (transition) and state pension (contributory) regardless of their country of residence. State pension (non-contributory) is not payable outside the State.