Results 3,561-3,580 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for PRSI treatment benefits persons under 25 years of age must have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid since starting work and 39 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year — the tax year before they claim. The requirement for persons aged 25 years and over is a minimum of 260 weeks paid contributions. In recognition of the difficulties that persons younger than 25 would have in meeting...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Under EU regulations 1408/71, an employed person who is working in a Member State is entitled to the family benefits provided by that State even though the family may be residing in another Member State. A claim for child benefit in respect of his children residing in Poland was received from the person concerned on 30 March 2006. Due to the volume of such claims being received and the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Carer's allowance is a means tested payment for people who are providing full time care and attention to a person who is in need of such care. Although recipients of carer's allowance themselves are not eligible for the national fuel scheme they do qualify for the household benefits package and the free travel scheme. In addition, the person to whom the care is being provided may be in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

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. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: On 5 January 2007, there were 21,800 people with some 44,000 Qualifying Children in receipt of Family Income Supplement with the following family sizes: Family Size Number of Recipients 1 child 9,433 2 children 6,500 3 children 3,327 4 children 1,609 5 children 625 6 children 204 7 children 73 8 (or more) children 29

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department conducted an internal review of payments to carers during the period 2004 to 2006. The review was designed as a vehicle to build on the review of the carer's allowance which was published in 1998 and to develop proposals for improvements in the schemes. The review examined all aspects of carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant and made a broad range of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The function of the Medical Review and Assessment Service (MRAS) unit is to confirm the eligibility for illness, disability and carer schemes, based on medical certification and reports provided by the claimant's medical practitioner, or based on medical examination undertaken by departmental Medical Assessors. An organisation review of the service commenced in October 2005 and was concluded...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1193 and 1194 together. Where a person has social insurance contributions from another EEA country, or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement, these can also be used to qualify a person for a payment. The manner in which contributions from EEA countries are to be used is laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1408/ 71 and the same general principles...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The information requested is contained in the following tabular statement. Scheme No. in receipt (December 2006) Illness Benefit 65,744 Invalidity Pension 51,954 Disability Allowance 83,697 Blind Pension 1,476 Injury Benefit 924 Incapacity Supplement 928 Constant Attendance Allowance 76 Disablement Pension 12,646

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) in November 2006 and her claim was sent to an inspector for examination. A number of calls, some void, have been made in this case and further information is required to enable a Deciding Officer to make a decision on the claim. The person concerned has been requested to submit further information regarding her circumstances....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has a range of supports available for project managers covering all relevant stages including a knowledge database containing guidelines and templates which draws on best practice nationally and internationally. Project management information seminars are provided to Project Managers on an on-going basis to increase awareness of the guidelines and supports available. There...

Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A different concept.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The total number of people availing of a grant towards the cost of a hearing aid for the past 5 years is 26,256 broken down as follows: Year Number 2002 4,401 2003 5,262 2004 5,749 2005 5,332 2006 5,512 The grant was increased by over 8% with effect from 1 May 2006 and currently my Department will pay up to half the cost of a hearing aid or repairs to a hearing aid subject to a fixed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

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 additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April and are not intended to meet the full cost of heating. Eligibility to the fuel allowance scheme is subject to means...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Family Services Project (FSP) provides funding to programmes run by third parties to assist welfare recipients and members of their families improve their personal and family circumstances through training, educational and development courses. The programmes are generally of a short duration and take place over a number of weeks. A total of 31 Family Services Projects have been funded...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In 2006, I made 32 Statutory Instruments pursuant to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as amended. In addition, 13 Statutory Instruments were also promulgated pursuant to the Pensions Act 1990 as amended. In accordance with requirements under Section 3 of the Statutory Instruments Act, 1947 as amended, all Statutory Instruments have been published in Iris Oifigiúil.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

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. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

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 (HSE), 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The national fuel scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive (HSE) 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 not intended to meet those costs in full....

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy wants to let 300 jobs go.