Results 501-520 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (9 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As announced in budget 2005, €1 million has been provided this year to the national information agency, Comhairle, to prepare the groundwork for the introduction of the new personal advocacy service. It is envisaged that the new service will be introduced in early 2008 subject to the necessary legislation being enacted. The introduction of a personal advocacy service aimed specifically at...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The approach to determining the effective dates for increases in social welfare weekly rates of payment following December's budget was the same as in previous years. The effective dates of increases for each scheme are determined by reference to the payment weeks for each scheme, which may commence on different days of the week, and the fact that some schemes are paid in advance and some in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A person is regarded as being available for employment if he or she is prepared to accept any offers of suitable full-time employment. In considering entitlement under this condition, account is taken of the person's skills, qualifications and experience, duration of period of unemployment and the availability of job vacancies in the locality. The question of specific support for the costs of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: An earnings "ceiling" was introduced for deserted wife's benefit as and from 31 August 1992. The ceiling, which applied only to new claims after that date, is currently €12,697.38 a year gross earnings. Where earnings are in excess of this amount, there may be entitlement to a continued payment at a reduced rate up to maximum earnings of €17,776.33 a year gross. The person concerned was...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy will be aware, the home help service is administered by the Health Service Executive which comes under the aegis of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. In the social welfare system, home help earnings are generally disregarded or treated more favourably than earnings from other insurable employment. No substantial changes have been made in these arrangements in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was employed in the construction industry from 22 November 2004 until 10 December 2004, when he left this employment. He applied for unemployment assistance on 14 January 2005. Based on the information supplied in his application regarding his job seeking efforts, a deciding officer disallowed his claim on the grounds that he is not available for or genuinely seeking...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: With the exception of those participating in my Department's back to education allowance scheme, people in full-time education are excluded in legislation from receipt of rent supplement which is provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: With effect from 27 May 2003 rent supplement is no longer payable in respect of a person who is awaiting the outcome of his or her claim for asylum. The accommodation needs of people in these circumstances are provided for through the system of direct provision operated by the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Dublin and mid-Leinster...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: At the time of application for a diet supplement the person concerned declared his sole source of income as being invalidity pension. The application form which he completed concludes with a declaration that the information given is complete and accurate and that the applicant undertakes to advise of any changes in circumstances, including income levels. As the Deputy is aware from my...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The cost of the electricity allowance to my Department over the last four years has been as follows: 2001 —€51.3 million; 2002 —€62.6 million; 2003 —€75.4 million; 2004 —€88 million. It is estimated that the allowance will cost the Department €102.26 million in 2005. The allowance covers the normal standing charges, urban or rural domestic, the public service obligation levy...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The appeal in question relates to an application for rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the executive has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement on the grounds that he had deprived himself of income, which would have...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Exemption from payment of employment contributions, for a period not exceeding 52 weeks, can be granted in respect of the temporary employment of persons who are not ordinarily resident in the State. Such exemptions are subject to the persons concerned having valid work permits and confirmation that social insurance contributions are paid in their home country. The social insurance cost of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the regulations governing carer's allowance, a person may participate in employment for a maximum of ten hours per week. Following the necessary investigations to determine the person's entitlement to this allowance, the application was refused on the grounds that the person concerned is employed in excess of the ten hours allowed each week. The person concerned was notified of this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person's claim for disability allowance was refused by a deciding officer following an examination by a medical assessor of the Department who expressed the view that he was not medically qualified for this payment. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office and in the context of his appeal he was examined by another medical assessor who was also of the opinion that he...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

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 exceptional needs payments to be made to assist with essential, once-off expenditure in exceptional circumstances. There is no automatic entitlement to an exceptional needs payment. Every decision is based on consideration of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has not submitted an application for fuel allowance. The person concerned does not qualify for the allowance as the total weekly income of her household exceeds the qualifying income threshold, which in her case, is €374.99 per week. The person concerned is a qualified adult on her husband's old age contributory pension and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity or gas allowance, telephone allowance and free 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In assessing means for social assistance purposes account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and property, except the home. Capital may include the following: stocks and shares of every description, which are assessed according to their current market value; savings certificates, bonds, national instalment savings, which are assessed according...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The number of means-tested pension cases where my Department assessed overpayments against the estates of deceased pensioners since 2000 with the value of overpayments recovered from those estates is as follows; Year Number of Cases Value of overpayments recovered 2000 508 £3,463,606.00 2001 442 £4,541,903.00 2002 406 â'¬5,016,542.40 2003...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The legislation governing rent supplements precludes payments being made to defray the cost of maintenance of, or repairs to, a dwelling for which, in the absence of agreement to...