Results 721-740 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. The objective of the assignment of responsibility under sections 4 and 9 of the Public Service Management Act 1997 is to ensure that functions performed on behalf of a Minister and the Government are performed by an appropriate officer or an officer of appropriate grade or rank. The process has been operating in a satisfactory manner in...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department and my legal personality as Minister are indivisible in so far as entering into contracts or other legal arrangements arises. My Department does not enjoy or accept legal rights, liabilities or entitlements distinct from those of my office as Minister.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Having reviewed the medical evidence in this case, an increase in her carer's allowance has been awarded. A personal rate of €230.40 per week will apply with effect from 20 January 2005. This represents the maximum personal rate payable to a person providing full-time care and attention to two persons. She has been notified of this decision and her revised payment will be lodged to her...

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

Séamus Brennan: An exceptional needs payment may be made by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which it administers on my behalf, to assist with funeral costs. An exceptional needs payment can be made towards any exceptional, unforeseen and non-recurring expense which a person is unable to meet from his or her own resources. In the...

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

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, including a means test, rent supplements are available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The south eastern region of the executive has advised that the person concerned had been in receipt of rent supplement up to October 2004. A subsequent...

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

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are payable to eligible people by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, which administers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme on my behalf. To receive a rent supplement a person must satisfy the statutory condition that there is a housing need which he or she is unable to meet from another source. The Health Service Executive has advised that...

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

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region office of the executive has advised that there has been no change in the amount of assistance being provided to this person under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, and that she is being paid at the maximum weekly personal...

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

Séamus Brennan: One of the conditions for receiving a carer's allowance is that the person must satisfy a means test. All income is assessable as means but in the case of carer's allowance a weekly income disregard of €250 for a single person and €500 for a married or cohabiting couple apply. Any means in excess of the disregards are assessable. The means of the person concerned were established...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There is a significant level of travel expenditure in my Department's budget, arising from the dispersed nature of my Department's services and, inter alia, the fact that a considerable level of investigative work must be carried out in the course of delivering the Department's services. The total amount paid out in 2004 by my Department in respect of home travel expenses was €2,142,217.85....

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 276 together. Under the treatment benefits scheme administered by my Department, persons insured under the Social Welfare Acts and their dependent spouses can avail of benefit in respect of a certain range of dental, optical and aural services subject to satisfying certain contribution conditions. The recommended staffing level in 1997 was 89.5 posts...

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for the household benefits package on 3 February 2005. On 11 March, following confirmation that both the electricity and telephone accounts were in the customer's name, she was awarded an electricity allowance and a telephone allowance on 11 March 2005, effective from 11 November 2004. Both the ESB and SMART telecom will be notified as soon as possible to apply...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are some 73,270 people on reduced rate old age contributory pensions and 20,620 on reduced rate retirement pensions. These include pro-rata and mixed rate pensions where entitlement is based on a combination of Irish contributions and contributions made in other countries or at different rates of insurance. Reduced rate or pro-rata pensions are paid at a fixed percentage of the full...

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for Carer's Allowance on 5 October 2004. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention are required and being provided and that the means test that applies is satisfied. An investigation by an investigative officer of my Department established that the person concerned satisfies the means test. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Special cross-Border arrangements have been in place since 1995 which allow Southern and Northern free travel pass holders to undertake cross-Border journeys free of charge. The introduction of free travel on an all-Ireland basis would enhance these existing arrangements by enabling Southern pass holders to make free journeys within the North. Similarly, Northern Ireland pass holders would be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 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 and an appeals officer is of the opinion that an oral hearing is required. He will be advised...

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

Séamus Brennan: I am committed to the development of the telephone allowance scheme to respond to the expanding telecommunications market and to facilitate greater social welfare client choice of telephone services. My Department is in contact with the communications regulator, ComReg, regarding the technical and administrative requirements for mobile phone, as well as land-line, services. To date three...

Written Answers — Departmental Costs: Departmental Costs (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003 my Department is required to prepare a draft scheme specifying the services proposed to be provided exclusively through Irish, exclusively through English, through both Irish and English, and the measures proposed to ensure that any services not provided through Irish will be so provided. As part of this process, under section 13 of the...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together. The details sought by the Deputy are set out in the following tables. It should be noted that rent supplement is normally payable directly to the tenants concerned, not to their landlords. The statistics shown in tables one and two relate to the number of applicants and recipients, and do not necessarily equate to a number of housing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (22 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The personal public service number, PPSN, is the individual's unique reference number for dealings with Departments and public bodies. Prior to June 2000, allocation of PPSNs was a shared function between my Department and Revenue. Since then, my Department has sole responsibility for the registration process. A PPSN issues automatically to children born in Ireland. In all other cases...

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

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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 BTEA scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be pursuing a course of study at a...