Results 541-560 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In 2002, my Department's press office engaged the services of Carr Communications for a short period to advise on public relations strategy. The contract was for the period March — April 2002 and the cost was €6,534. There are five agencies under the aegis of my Department and the details requested in respect of these are as follows. The Combat Poverty Agency engaged Bill O'Herlihy...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, mortgage interest 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 Dublin and mid-Leinster region of the Health Service Executive has no record of an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned. If he...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied to my Department for this pension in January 2005. Following an investigation of his circumstances by a social welfare inspector, a deciding officer determined that he was not eligible because his means, deriving from both a farm and capital, exceeded the maximum weekly statutory limit. He was notified of this decision as well as his right of appeal against it to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Department has been involved in a number of reviews and studies related to the one-parent family payment. These have included the Department's review of the one-parent family payment, regarding which a report was published in October 2001, and participation in an international OECD study on reconciling work and family life, entitled Babies and Bosses, Volume II of which contains the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 226, inclusive, together. The total numbers of personal public service numbers issued to each of the nationalities quoted by the Deputy in the period 1 May 2004 to 11 February 2005 are as follows: Malta 152 Hungary 2,029 Latvia 6,885 Poland 29,731 Estonia 1,842 Lithuania 13,439 Slovenia 75 Slovakia 5,889 Cyprus 26 Czech...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned initially made an application to my Department for disability benefit. His application was unsuccessful as he did not have any PRSI contributions paid in the relevant qualifying period. He subsequently applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Payment of unemployment assistance to the person concerned was terminated by my Department in November 2004 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office, and an appeals officer will review his case as soon as possible. The person concerned subsequently applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government decentralisation programme announced as part of budget 2004, my Department is required to relocate 100 posts to Sligo and 225 posts to Carrick-on-Shannon. According to figures received by my Department from the central applications facility the number of applicants for Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon is 69 and 280 respectively. These figures represent applications made...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is payable in respect of children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 years while they remain in full-time education, or where they have a physical or mental disability. Payment of child benefit does not extend beyond a child's 19th birthday. Child benefit is payable in respect of all children whether or not the parents are in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The number of people in receipt of a one-parent family payment with an address in the Dublin 11 postal district is 2,467. The breakdown by category is unmarried parents, 2,079; separated spouses, 376; widowed persons, 11; and prisoners' spouses, one.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The objective of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, is to provide assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their basic needs. In addition to a basic weekly allowance, assistance may be provided in the form of supplements which may...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. To qualify for participation in the scheme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant social welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel companion pass scheme was introduced in 1990 for persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. Some of those who are eligible for a companion free travel pass include recipients of disability allowance or invalidity pension who are medically assessed as being unfit to travel unaccompanied; people who are blind or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The conditions for receipt of the extended respite care grant are set out in the Social Welfare Bill, which this week passed Second Stage and was referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs. The following conditions will apply: the carer must be providing full-time care to a person who is in need of such care, as is the case with recipients of carer's allowance; a full-time...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that, apart from an informal inquiry from the people concerned, it has no record of an application by them for rent supplement. If they wish to apply...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that it is awaiting the return of the appropriate application forms from the person concerned. As soon as she finds accommodation to rent and supplies...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned commenced employment under the rural social scheme, on 12 February 2005. That scheme is administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. It is a matter for that Department to decide on eligibility, as well as whether participants are entitled to any secondary benefits. Under social welfare legislation, decisions on claims must be made by deciding...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 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 his entitlement to the allowance, his application was refused on the grounds that he was employed in excess of the ten hours allowed each week. My Department received a notice of an appeal in this case on 15 February...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 10 January 2005. His claim was disallowed by the deciding officer on the grounds that he was not available for full-time work and not genuinely seeking employment. The person appealed against this decision to the social welfare appeals office — appeal received on 7 February 2005 — and an appeals officer is of the opinion that an...