Results 461-480 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Social welfare programmes aim to be responsive to the needs of those who depend on income maintenance support while providing incentives to assist people to become more independent financially, particularly through employment. A number of measures have been introduced in recent years to remove disincentives to taking up employment and to assist in the transition from welfare to work. These...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are presently almost 11,000 people receiving a British retirement pension who also receive an Irish non-contributory old age pension or widowed person's pension. The rate paid in respect of non-contributory pension to recipients of British pensions is adjusted periodically to take account of changes in the rate of their British pension. For non-EMU European states, including the United...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Diet supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The amount of supplement payable is subject to a means test and depends on which of two categories of diet — low cost or high cost — has been prescribed by the applicant's medical advisor and the income of...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Department of Social and Family Affairs endeavours to ensure that applications for unemployment assistance are decided as quickly as possible in all local offices. A person awaiting a decision on an application for assistance from the Department or whose application is in dispute who finds that he or she has insufficient means with which to provide for his or her basic needs may apply for...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A person on a community employment scheme may apply for rent supplement. The claim will be assessed under standard rules concerning means, housing need and other factors that are considered in all new cases. Rent supplement will be awarded if the standard conditions are satisfied. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Corporate charge cards are currently held by seven officers of my Department. Three cards which were no longer required were closed during the life of the Government. The cards are issued on the strict condition that they will be used solely for official business purposes and the named card holder is the only person authorised to use the card. Such official usage includes the purchase of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Until recently, recipients of unemployment payments residing more than six miles, or 9.7 km, from their nearest social welfare local or branch office signed 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. Since the end...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 197, inclusive, together. At the time of the recent budget, I announced my intention to make changes relating to the rent supplement and crèche and diet supplements, which are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the health service executive. I have made two...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I understand the Deputy is interested in the number of recipients of social welfare schemes under which the Christmas bonus is not payable. The requested information is contained in the following table, which details the number of persons in receipt of weekly short-term social welfare payments at the end of 2004 and to whom the Christmas bonus was not paid. Scheme Number in receipt of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded carer's allowance with effect from 11 November 2004, at the maximum weekly personal rate of €139.60, increasing to €153.60 from 6 January 2005, together with a dependent child allowance of €8.40 per week. She has been notified of this decision. Carer's allowance personal payable order books are renewed on a six monthly basis. This process is under...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive, is one of a number of social assistance schemes which is subject to a habitual residence condition with effect from 1 May 2004. The effect of the condition is that a person whose habitual residence or "centre of interest" is deemed to be other than in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The conditions for receipt of the extended respite care grant will be set out in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill and regulations. As I set out in my speech at budget time, the carer must be providing full-time care to a person who is in need of such care. As with recipients of carer's allowance, a full-time carer must not be engaged in employment for more than ten hours per week. Those...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The decentralisation implementation group's report to the Minister for Finance on 19 November 2004 recommended the locations and organisations to be included in the first phase of moves and those to be regarded as potential early movers. While Carrickmacross was not included in the first phase of moves or as a potential early mover, the decentralisation implementation group is scheduled to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In assessing means for social assistance purposes, moneys held in special savings investment accounts are treated in the same manner as other capital. Account is taken of any cash income the person may have, along with the value of capital and property, except the home. Capital may include stocks and shares of every description, which are assessed according to their current market value,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A number of arrangements in the social welfare code take account of the work of people in the home for pension purposes. The Government is committed to extending pension cover to as many people as possible. A number of measures which have been introduced in recent years make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. I refer, for example, to extended social insurance coverage and an easing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The maximum rate of qualified adult increase is payable where a claimant's spouse or partner has a gross weekly income not exceeding €88.88. Regulations provide for the gradual or tapered withdrawal of the qualified adult allowance for claimants of certain welfare payments where the spouse or partner of the claimant is earning between €88.88 and €220 per week. The allowance is fully...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social and Family Affairs are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Social Welfare Tribunal and the Family Support Agency. The Pensions Ombudsman also comes under the remit of the Department. One appointment was made to the board of the Combat Poverty Agency and two appointments were made to the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back to work allowance scheme, 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. The allowance provides a monetary incentive designed to make their return to work financially attractive and viable. It is designed to support...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has a gap in his contribution record covering the period from 1962 when he went over the remuneration limit for social insurance which applied until 1974. It would have been open to him at that time to continue in full-rate insurance by becoming a voluntary contributor. Pensions paid under social insurance represent good value for the contributions which people made....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Supplementary welfare allowance is payable to people in part-time employment but is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. However, arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people to retain a portion of their rent supplement where they take up...