Results 3,301-3,320 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who...

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

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the fuel allowance 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 allowance, which is paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. Some 274,000 people (151,000 with basic fuel...

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

Séamus Brennan: 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 and the respite care grant have been introduced and...

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

Séamus Brennan: My Department received a total of 35,623 claims for maternity benefit in 2005. A total of 33,988 claims were put into payment during that year at a total cost of some €133.6 million.

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Currently Ireland has bilateral social security agreements with seven countries: Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. Ireland entered into a bilateral understanding with Canada on 1 October 1994. The main purpose of these agreements is to protect the social security pension rights of workers who have worked both in Ireland and the other...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The information given in reply to the previous parliamentary question was based on information supplied by the HSE who advised that this and other cases have been the subject of discussion between the Deputy and the HSE by telephone. Following further enquiries with the Executive, I now understand that a meeting between the Deputy and the HSE is scheduled for early December. A person may...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was refused the Carer's Allowance on the grounds that full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations is not required in this case. On 27 November 2006 he was notified of the decision, the reason for it and of his right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Eligibility for a fuel allowance is subject to means and other conditions. The main conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with a qualifying dependant. A person may have a combined household income of up to €51 per week over and above the maximum rate of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: People in receipt of the state non-contributory pension who avail of the €100 a week earnings disregard do not lose fuel allowance. They continue to satisfy the means test for fuel allowance for as long as they remain entitled to the state non-contributory pension. Eligibility to the fuel allowance scheme is subject to means and other conditions. The main conditions that apply to the fuel...

Written Answers — Driver Testing: Driver Testing (29 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A block of 40,000 driving tests, which can be extended to 45,000 tests if necessary, was outsourced to SGS Ltd., the company contracted to conduct driving tests, as part of a package of measures to reduce the driving test backlog that also included employment of additional staff and a bonus scheme for staff. The Road Safety Authority now has responsibility for the delivery of driving tests...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The average length of time taken to deal with all appeals (both summary and oral) by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2005 was 20 weeks. If allowance is made for the 25% most protracted cases, the average falls to 13 weeks. The social welfare appeals process is a quasi-judicial process and it is necessary for the Appeals officer to be satisfied that he/she has all the facts before making...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for farm assist from 16 September 2005. Her means were assessed at Euro 133.00 per week derived from spouse's self-employment and income from land and accordingly the Deciding Officer awarded farm assist at the rate of Euro 58.00 per week. An appeal against this decision was received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 21 June 2006 and the Appeals Officer...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 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 an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment and at...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. Trustees have the main responsibility for the administration of occupational pension schemes and compliance with the statutory requirements that apply to these schemes. In discharging these duties trustees must act in the best interests of beneficiaries in accordance with the Pensions Act 1990 (as amended) and the trust deeds under which...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I wish to advise the Deputy that this matter is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, which deals with matters relating to leases on properties.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: While the dedicated information desk in this office is temporarily closed a full information service is available at the office. Callers to the local office can receive information forms and leaflets from the reception area. If further information is required, customers are advised to go to the claim acceptance area where the staff deal with all information queries, during office opening...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of rent supplement to eligible people whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment....

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (5 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The amount of revenue raised in 2005 by way of the 2% health contribution was €1,131m. This includes the sum of €139m collected under Schedule D Income Tax (self-employed) remitted directly by the Revenue Commissioners to the Health Service Executive.