Results 1,181-1,200 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The electricity allowance covers normal standing charges and up to 1,800 units of electricity each year. VAT due on this standard allowance is also covered. The value of the allowance, if fully taken up, is €359.91 per annum. The objective of the electricity allowance is to provide for a basic standard of electricity usage. That it is a unit-based allowance means any increases in the price...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides people receiving social welfare payments with a range of payment options best suited to their needs. Electronic fund transfer, EFT, to personal bank accounts is one such payment method. When EFT was introduced, payments were made four weeks in arrears. In 2000 the payment frequency was reduced to two weeks in arrears and it was further reduced to one week in arrears in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 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. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. However, special arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people to retain a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. The Government recently agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long-term stay charges. As I have already confirmed to the House in regard to those charged, such repayments will not impact on their current pension entitlements and I will make the necessary legislative changes to bring this provision into effect when full...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The position remains as stated in my reply to Question No. 184, which I answered for the Deputy on 2 June 2005. The Dublin and mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive advised then that, following an assessment of her housing needs by the local authority, the person concerned was considered to have a suitable housing option available to her. In the circumstances, the executive...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. I am satisfied that no person who is currently a member of any of the boards of these agencies is disqualified from holding a directorship of a private company.

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was awarded an electricity allowance with effect from 2 May 2005. The ESB has been notified to apply the allowance to her electricity account. She was also awarded a telephone allowance. However, as she does not yet have a telephone installed in her home, it is not possible for her to avail of the allowance at this time. However, if she obtains a telephone she should...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (15 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is payable up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. The policy of the Government over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on child benefit for all families. The Government's commitment to this policy is reflected in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The total expenditure, including the specific expenditure on An Post services, incurred by my Department in respect of courier and packaging services in each of the past five years is as follows: Years Total Expenditure An Post â'¬ â'¬ 2000 326,502 98,602 2001 313,783 47,347 2002 396,581 82,873 2003 344,695 104,440 2004 375,181 83,385 2005 (to 1/6/05) 183,251...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (16 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The amount of unspent money surrendered to the Exchequer from my Department's Vote in each of the years 1997 to 2004 and the corresponding total voted budget in each case are as follows: Surplus Surrendered Budget Estimate â'¬ million â'¬ million 1997 199 3,455 1998 190 3,547 1999 169 3,593 2000 126 3,653 2001 61 4,166 2002 28 5,099 ...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (16 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are no plans at present to change the status of the Finglas social welfare office. This office serves the customers of the Finglas area and currently handles a claim-load of 2,224 unemployed people. In addition, since October 2003 it also handles the claims for one-parent family payment for local customers. The building also houses the regional headquarters for the Dublin north region...

Written Answers — Public Contracts: Public Contracts (21 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department issues approximately 1.1 million weekly payments of which 58% are paid through An Post. The Government's decision in 1999 to extend my Department's existing contractual arrangements with An Post gave rise to a procurement complaint being lodged with the European Commission in 2000. That complaint was subsequently referred by the Commission to the Court of Justice. In the...

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

Séamus Brennan: An application for the respite care grant from the person concerned was received in the respite care grant section within my Department on 3 June. The section is processing claims received during May. It is expected that decisions on claims received in June will be made in July and applicants will be advised immediately thereafter.

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded the household benefits package including electricity allowance, free lifetime television licence and telephone allowance with effect from 25 October 2004. Her service provider has been notified to apply the electricity allowance to her account from that date. She is entitled to a refund in respect of her current television licence which she purchased in...

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

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is payable generally to the mother in respect of children who are under 16 years of age, or aged between 16 and 19 and either disabled or in full-time education. Child benefit is paid up to the date certified by the school or college that the child is attending, which in most cases is the end of the academic year in June. The child benefit year runs from June to May and in cases...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Dublin mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that it received an appeal last week from the person concerned regarding its refusal of her application for rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. A file on the case is being prepared by the community welfare service for the relevant Health Service Executive appeals officer who will make a...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Dublin mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that it finalised its review of the amount of rent supplement payable in this case to take account of recent changes in the family's circumstances. Based on the new level of household income the executive has determined that the amount of rent supplement payable to the person concerned is €828.20 per month. The executive has further...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (21 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Certificates of social welfare income are provided to customers by each individual scheme area for a variety of purposes, including waiver of domestic refuse charges. As reference to specific customer details is required to produce such certificates, this is considered to be the most appropriate method for dealing with such requests. The use of a centralised freephone would not be the most...

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

Séamus Brennan: At present pensioners who avail of electronic fund transfer, EFT, as a payment option receive their pension weekly in arrears. This has been the case since November 2004 when the EFT payment cycle was reduced from fortnightly in arrears to weekly in arrears. I am anxious to progress the full alignment of EFT payments with that of other payment methods, including the elimination of the week in...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (21 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together. My Department has overall responsibility for the money advice and budgeting service, MABS, which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need intensive help and advice in coping with their debt problems. The service is operated by 52 independent companies throughout the country. The MABS programme provides money advice to...