Results 381-400 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Regulations: Social Welfare Regulations (2 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Currently, recipients of unemployment payments who reside more than six miles from their nearest social welfare local or branch office sign a declaration at their local Garda station for the purpose of proving unemployment. This service was instituted, as a service to customers, at a time when transport was less frequent and travel was more difficult than today. My Department is currently...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Statistics: Social Welfare Statistics (2 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, provides assistance to people whose means are insufficient to meet their basic needs, subject to certain conditions. In addition to the basic weekly allowance, assistance can be given by health boards under the scheme in the form of supplements in respect of rent, mortgage...

Written Answers — Welfare Organisations: Welfare Organisations (2 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: On 11 October 2004 I hosted the annual pre-budget forum to which a wide variety of organisations with interests in social welfare issues had been invited. In all, 27 organisations attended on the day and I extended an invitation to each of them to meet with me over the coming months to outline their work and to make their concerns known to me. The following organisations attended the forum:...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The Central Statistics Office included a question in the 2002 Census to identify the number of persons providing unpaid personal care for a friend or family member with a long term illness, health problem or disability. The analysis of this portion of the Census found that 40,500 people provide 43 hours or more unpaid personal help per week, or more than six hours per day; 8,000 people...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Child dependant allowance is an additional weekly payment made to social welfare recipients in respect of each qualified child dependant. A full CDA rate of €16.80 is payable to recipients of unemployment or disability benefit together with a qualified adult allowance where the spouse's gross weekly earnings do not exceed €210. Where earnings exceed €210 the full rate is no longer...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The South Western Area Health Board has advised that the person concerned is currently in receipt of a monthly rent supplement of €366.50. This is the maximum amount payable in her circumstances. This rate, and that paid to her previously, takes account of the fact that she cares for her grandson. There is no standard rate of rent supplement payable to a person whose sole source of income...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The South Western Area Health Board has advised that the person concerned made inquiries regarding rent supplement at her local health centre. She has not, however, made a formal application for rent supplement. She was referred to her local housing authority to be assessed in respect of her accommodation needs as she was neither on the housing list nor an existing private sector tenant for...

Seanad: Pension Provisions: Statements. (18 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Pensions are an international issue and most countries in the developed world face the same challenges as Ireland, namely, how to provide pensions that are both adequate and sustainable in a context where our population is ageing rapidly. The combined effect of large numbers reaching retirement age and rising life expectancy will mean a doubling of the old age dependency ratio. In 2000, the...

Seanad: Pension Provisions: Statements (Resumed). (18 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Senators for a worthwhile and fascinating debate and for their candid contributions. I am pleased that Senators acknowledge the size of the challenges ahead. As I said at the beginning, 75% of workers do not have adequate pension provision, which cannot continue. I must bring forward whatever initiatives are possible as soon as possible. I thank Senator Terry for her list of...

Seanad: Pension Provisions: Statements (Resumed). (18 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The question revolves around what is done with it, how it is collected, how it is managed, who invests it, whether it goes into shares, property, bonds and so on. I appreciate that these are real issues. However, one cannot argue the principle because we have accepted it for many years and we apply it every day. We deduct PRSI from people's incomes and it goes into the social fund which is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by health boards on behalf of my Department. Within each board, the scheme is administered by a superintendent and community welfare officers. The role of the superintendent community welfare officer relates to the determination and review of claims and to the supervision of community welfare officers. Superintendent community welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

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 fulfil 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 (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The back to work allowance scheme, which was introduced in September 1993, is part of my Department's programme of initiatives designed to assist long term unemployed people, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. There are two strands to the scheme, the back to work allowance for employees, and the back to work enterprise allowance for self...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by health boards on behalf of my Department, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible people. Entitlement to rent supplement depends on a number of factors: (a) that applicants are habitually resident in the State; (b) they have a genuine housing need which cannot be provided...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Legislation provides that where a person works for up to three days a week either on a casual or part-time basis, earnings are assessed at 60% for unemployment assistance purposes. In addition, persons without children are allowed a €12.70 disregard for each day worked, with the balance of earnings assessed at 60%. The current arrangements for assessment of casual and part-time means came...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Deserted wife's allowance is a means-tested payment made to women who have no dependent children, who were deserted by their husband and who do not satisfy the contribution conditions for deserted wife's benefit. Deserted wife's allowance was closed to new applications with effect from 2 January 1997 when the one-parent family payment was introduced. In assessing means for the purposes of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The person's application for carer's allowance was disallowed by a deciding officer on the grounds that full-time care and attention was not being provided by the person concerned. The person concerned appealed against this decision to the social welfare appeals office. Following her letter of appeal, the case was referred back to my department for further investigation. When investigations...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The total amount of overpayments raised to date in respect of one parent family payment cases for the tax years 2001, 2002 and 2003 is €23.2 million. A breakdown for individual tax years is not available. Recipients of one parent family payments are obliged to notify my Department when there is a change in their circumstances, for example, when their earnings increase. Overpayments may...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. For these purposes, employment for 30 hours or more per week is regarded as full-time. Arrangements which have been in place for a...

Written Answers — Family Support Services. : Family Support Services. (23 Nov 2004)

Séamus Brennan: It is estimated that there are over 3,000 crèches and pre-schools in the country, the majority of which are privately operated. The remainder are community-based and operate on a not for profit basis. Some are grant-aided by health boards while others receive funding through the equal opportunities child care programme of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In addition, the...