Results 4,001-4,020 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A special pension for the self-employed was introduced in 1999 to enable people who were over age 56 at the time of the introduction of PRSI for the self-employed in 1988, and who could not therefore meet the standard qualifying conditions, to receive a contributory pension. To qualify, a person must have been age 56 or over on 6 April 1988, started paying social insurance contributions as a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Apr 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 in, and took effect from, 1994. Government policy in that, within the existing contributory and non-contributory pension system, as many people as possible qualify for payments in their own right. In this regard measures have been taken...

Order of Business (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy should get his monument. He would make a good one.

Written Answers — PPS Numbers: PPS Numbers (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The numbers of PPS Numbers allocated to nationals of Romania and Bulgaria since the beginning of January 2007 are as follows: Bulgaria, 291; Romania, 6471. The Personal Public Service Number (PPS No.) is the unique personal identifier for transactions between individuals and Government Departments and other public bodies specified in the Social Welfare Acts. Approximately 310,000 PPS Numbers...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 352 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive. There is no record of the person concerned having applied for a Rent Supplement. He is currently in receipt of disability allowance at the maximum weekly...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle), the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. On 30th March 2007 I appointed Ms. Patricia Walshe and Ms. Laurie Cearr as members of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The telephone allowance is one component of the household benefits package which also comprises the electricity or gas allowance and the free television licence schemes. The telephone allowance provides a payment towards telephone service costs. It is applied as a cash credit on recipient's telephone bills. The value of the allowance is set at €20.41 per month (€24.70 including VAT) or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Under social welfare legislation, three diverse scenarios could apply to a couple working together with different consequences arising. Firstly, where spouses are actively engaged in a commercial activity as a business partnership, they are treated as individual self-employed contributors and are liable to social insurance contributions at PRSI Class S — providing that income is above the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for State Pension (Contributory) in September 1997. According to the records of my Department, he has a total of 353 contributions recorded over the 36-year qualification period from 1953 to 5th April 1989, giving him a yearly average of 10 contributions. This entitles him to 50% of the maximum rate of pension, payable at the current rate of €104.70 per week....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 341 and 342 together. In general, all contributions paid or credited, at the appropriate rate, on a person's social insurance record are assessed when his/her entitlement to a pension is being examined. There is a range of reduced rate and pro-rata pensions available to cater for people with less than complete insurance records, or where they have insurance...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means tested payment and all income is assessable as means. This includes cash income, private pensions, foreign pensions, the value of any property (excluding the claimant's own home) and the value of any investments and capital which the claimant may have. If a pensioner is married or is living with someone as husband and wife, the means of the spouse...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I introduced legislation (under the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pension Act 2006) whereby all persons in receipt of State Pension (Transition) would transfer automatically to the State Pension (Contributory) on attaining age 66. State Pension (Transition) is paid on a Thursday and State Pension (Contributory) is paid on Friday. The change was implemented from January 2007, for customers...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provides assistance to people who are overindebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. In 2006, €16.4 million was provided to fund the service and in 2007 I have further increased the annual allocation to €17.67 million to assist the MABS in dealing with its workload. In 2006, MABS provided services to some 12,600 new...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned is an asylum seeker in receipt of a direct provision allowance of €19.10 granted to her when she resided at accommodation provided previously through the Reception and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Illness Benefit is a payment for people under 66 years who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the relevant PRSI conditions. A person who continues to work beyond age 66 may qualify for the State Pension (contributory), based on their social insurance record and this payment is not affected if the person subsequently becomes ill and is unable to work. Alternatively, a person who does...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Apr 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 in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. However, the scheme will...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a scheme of grants for the development and promotion of information and welfare rights. Under the scheme grants are awarded to assist organisations in the provision of information on social services and in particular social welfare services. Organisations wishing to be considered for funding under this scheme should apply to my Department for that purpose.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was awarded a reduced rate of state pension (non-contributory) and a living alone allowance from 20/10/06. She appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office against the decision not to award the pension and allowance from an earlier date and in accordance with the statutory requirements, the relevant papers and comments from my Department were sought. These have now been...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would be complex given the wide range of charging regimes and cost structures that exist in...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (5 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The advice of the Office of the Attorney General is that the judgement of the Supreme Court in this case, given on Thursday last, 29th March 2007, relates solely to the Animal Remedies Act, 1993. The issue of whether the judgement has implications for other legislation (including social welfare and occupational pensions legislation) is under review by the Attorney-General's Office. However,...