Results 3,601-3,620 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: For jobseeker's allowance (JA) purposes, the assessment of means for non-householders resident in the parental home has always taken into account the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by him or her by virtue of residing with a parent or step-parent. In practice, this is taken to mean the value of free board and lodging to a claimant and such value is ascribed having regard to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The Community Welfare Officer (CWO) of the Executive has advised that it has received an incomplete application on 1st February 2007 for SWA from the person concerned. The CWO contacted the person concerned on 6th February to arrange...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together. Appeals statistics requested by the Deputy in respect of 2006 are currently being processed for inclusion in the annual report of the Chief Appeals Officer which will be published shortly. There were 5,851 appeals awaiting decision on 5 February 2007 of which 1,698 were awaiting an oral hearing. A breakdown of those cases by scheme type...

Seanad: Citizens Information Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Citizens Information Bill 2006 is a key element of the Government's national disability strategy and is designed to ensure that people with disabilities are supported to enable them, as far as possible, to lead full and independent lives, to reach their full potential as individuals and to participate fully in society. The Bill provides for a number of important changes to the Comhairle...

Seanad: Citizens Information Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Senators on all sides for their contributions on this proposed legislation. I listened very carefully to the points made. As the Bill goes through the different Stages in the House, I will try to respond to the points made. Senator John Paul Phelan asked a number of questions. In the initial phase of the service, it is planned that the director of the personal advocacy service and...

Seanad: Citizens Information Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Senator should not worry as this provides me with an opportunity to state clearly the admiration felt by all in these Houses and in Ireland for such marvellous organisations, including Inclusion Ireland, the Brothers of Charity in Limerick, the Bray Partnership, the County Monaghan Partnership, the Galway advocacy service, the Longford advocacy forum, the Mayo partnerships, the centres in...

Seanad: Citizens Information Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: We are not exactly rushing it. We are in 2007. The Bill is the Citizens Information Bill 2006. Senator Mansergh spoke about the role of public representatives. As a Member of the Cabinet, I have regular opportunities to visit other countries and speak to my opposite numbers. Increasingly, I find they are not elected. In Belgium, France, Italy, the United States and sometimes in Spain,...

Order of Business (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: It is not the Government's fault.

Order of Business (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: It is a political football.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). SWA provides a safety net against poverty in that it gives a statutory entitlement to a minimum weekly income, based on criteria set out in legislation. Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State whose means are...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Carers allowance was awarded to the person concerned from 5 April 2001. Following a review of her claim she was notified by the Deciding Officer in December 2005 that she was not entitled to carers allowance for the period from 12 June 2003 to 8 December 2004 on the grounds that she is employed outside the home for more than ten hours per week. The person appealed this decision on 8 February...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In assessing means deriving from payments received from non-EMU European states, my Department uses the conversion mechanism provided for under Article 107 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 574/72 on Social Security for Migrant Workers. The exchange rates for converting Sterling and other non-EMU currencies are published quarterly in the Official Journal of the European Union. Under this...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A total of 5,083 Parliamentary Questions were tabled for my Department in 2006. This is an increase of 10% on the number tabled in 2005. Of these, 3,315 (65%) were withdrawn by the deputies and the remaining 1,768 (35%) were answered. The bulk of the 3,315 questions withdrawn related to problems that claimants were experiencing which could be resolved immediately or where the problem had...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs. The Executive has advised that the amount of rent supplement payable to the person concerned...

Written Answers — Employee Protection: Employee Protection (13 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The case to which the Deputy refers, relates to Directive 80/987/EEC which provides for the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. The High Court in the U.K. referred a case to the European Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling on whether Article 8 of this Directive requires "Member States to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that employees' accrued...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary allowance (SWA) scheme, including rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Executive has advised that it has not received an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. It has further advised that the person concerned should contact her local community welfare officer where she...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary allowance (SWA) scheme, including rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Executive has advised that it has finalised a claim for rent supplement for the person concerned and has communicated its decision to the person in question.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are currently 27,597 persons in receipt of carer's allowance (week ending 2 February 2007). There are currently 1,627 persons in receipt of Carer's Benefit. These recipients also qualify for Respite Care Grant. Support of carers has been a priority of Government since 1997. Payments to carers have been greatly improved over that period and qualifying conditions for carers allowance...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 462 together. My Department has received funding in the new National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 under the Social Inclusion Priority of the Plan. The funding provided is mainly for four programmes as follows: The Activation Sub-Programme, aims to promote participation and social inclusion through engaging with people of working age on social...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (14 Feb 2007)

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. Provision is also made for the...