Results 921-940 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Customers of my Department are given a number of payment options to choose from when they apply for a social welfare payment. The majority of those who opt for payment of pensions by electronic fund transfer, EFT, do so at the start of their claim and are paid on a regular weekly basis once their claim is put into payment. From November 2004, the payment frequency for pension customers paid...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I understand that the Deputy's inquiry relates to people seeking assistance by way of exceptional needs payments provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, HSE. Exceptional needs payments can be made at the discretion of the HSE to assist with essential, once-off expenditure...

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (21 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The submission in question includes three main issues which are relevant to my Department. These include submissions on the living alone allowance, pensions for older women and the role of modified insurance in qualifying conditions for contributory pensions. The living alone allowance is a supplement of €7.70 per week payable with certain social welfare payments. The allowance is an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive and I have no function in determining entitlement in individual cases. The Dublin mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned made no mention of a health condition when applying for assistance under the...

Written Answers — Parental Leave Provisions: Parental Leave Provisions (21 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The four statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle and the family support agency. The Pensions Ombudsman's office also comes under the remit of my Department. The terms and conditions for maternity leave which apply in the agencies are in accordance with the terms provided for in the Maternity Protection Acts...

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

Séamus Brennan: 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 Dublin and mid Leinster area of the executive has advised that a rent supplement has been awarded in this case backdated to the date of application, 22 March 2005. The first payment of the supplement will...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 304 together. All service grades, that is, cleaners, service attendants and service officers in my Department are appointed in an unestablished capacity. Competitions are held by the Public Appointments Service from time to time to allow them compete for establishment. An interdepartmental competition for established appointment to certain positions...

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded the household benefits package with effect from 9 September 2004. Eircom and the ESB will be notified as soon as possible to apply the allowances to his accounts. He has also been awarded a free lifetime television licence with effect from the expiry date of his current TV licence. If the person concerned has purchased a television licence since 9...

Written Answers — Community Law Centres: Community Law Centres (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The northside community law centre is one of a number of organisations which are funded under my Department's scheme of grants for the development and promotion of information and welfare rights. Since its establishment in 1975, the centre has been funded exclusively by State agencies with my Department taking over direct funding in 1995. Annual funding has increased progressively over the...

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

Séamus Brennan: There is no record in the Department of an application for farm assist from the person concerned. An application form has been issued to him. On receipt of the completed application form, his entitlement will be considered and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 and 291 together. In the budget for 2005, I announced the extension of the respite care grant scheme to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means and subject to certain qualifying conditions. The respite care grant will continue to be payable to recipients of carer's allowance, carer's...

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

Séamus Brennan: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, a heating supplement may be paid to recipients of social welfare or Health Service Executive payments who have exceptional heating costs due to ill health or infirmity and who are unable to provide for these costs from within their own...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 295 together. My Department's policy is to ensure that a range of payment options is available to customers and that service is continually improved by providing access to the wide range of payment options and new services and facilities now available. Customers opting for a particular payment method do so on an entirely voluntary basis having regard...

Written Answers — Post Office Closures: Post Office Closures (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is notified in advance by An Post of the closure of any post office. On receipt of the notification, my Department's customers who are affected are redirected to the nearest post office or, alternatively, to a post office designated by the customer. Where these arrangements do not suit a customer, my Department provides alternative payment arrangements either by cheque or by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been in receipt of disablement benefit from injuries he received in a motor accident which he sustained in the course of his work in May 2001. His claim was reviewed in April 2004 and, following an examination by a medical assessor of my Department, his loss of faculty was provisionally assessed at 20% for a further six months period. The person appealed this decision...

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

Séamus Brennan: 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 Dublin and mid Leinster area of the executive has advised that it was unaware of a bereavement in the family in question at the end of March. Payment of the rent supplement to the late spouse of the person...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In accordance with formal procedures agreed between the Civil and Public Service Union, which represents clerical officers, and the Department of Finance, the names of officers applying for transfer to a location are entered in the Department's central transfer lists in the order in which they are received. Vacancies which arise in locations are then filled by reference to these lists. The...

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

Séamus Brennan: There is a general obligation on people to claim their social welfare entitlements on time and there are legislative provisions designed to cater for situations where they fail to do so. Regulations provide for payment to be made on foot of late claims in the case of a range of schemes, including family income supplement, for a period of six months prior to the date of the claim provided...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (26 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Social welfare legislation provides that, among other conditions, a person must satisfy the condition of being genuinely seeking work to be entitled to unemployment benefit, UB, or unemployment assistance, UA. A deciding officer will take a number of factors into account in deciding whether a customer is genuinely seeking work. The legislation requires a person to be genuinely seeking...

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

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their extra heating needs during the winter season. A fuel allowance of €9 per week —€12.90 in designated urban smokeless fuel zones — is payable to eligible households for a 29 week period from the end of September to...