Results 1,381-1,400 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 750 and 757 together. 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, HSE. Neither I nor my Department has any function in determining or reviewing entitlement in individual cases. Entitlement to the supplement is determined...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The qualifying conditions for the payment of disability benefit are that a person is under 66 years of age, unfit for work due to illness and satisfies the PRSI contribution conditions. Persons over the age of 66 are not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts for disability benefit purposes and the age limit for receipt of disability benefit is 66 years. There is a general rule in the social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Widows and widowers can qualify for one of a number of different schemes depending on their particular circumstances. The contributory widow's or widower's pension is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or that of the deceased spouse. Those qualifying for this benefit are not subject to any means test. Those without the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, BSCFA, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The executive has advised that it has no record of an application for BSCFA from the person concerned. If she wishes to apply, she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre as soon as possible to enable her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was paid the maximum 18 weeks maternity benefit from 14 January 2005 to 19 May 2005. As her baby was born prematurely, her maternity leave and payment of benefit commenced from the date of birth of her child. There is provision, under current regulations, to postpone the last four weeks maternity leave or benefit in the event of the hospitalisation of the child; however,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is in receipt of one-parent family payment since June 2002 at a rate of €158.10 per week in respect of herself and one dependent child. She also receives a fuel allowance of €9 per week for the duration of the winter heating season. One-parent family payment is a means tested scheme to provide income support for unmarried or separated people with children. The means...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: PRSI exemptions are issued in accordance with Article 97 of SI 312/1996. The legislation provides for an exemption from PRSI contributions for up to 52 weeks to be granted to employees not ordinarily resident in the State but who are temporarily employed here. The purpose of the legislation is to avoid a situation whereby workers who are sent by their employer to work here temporarily would...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Issues relating to tax are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. The regulatory basis for the PRSI exemption scheme is contained in Article 97 of SI 312/1996. The legislation provides for an exemption from PRSI contributions for up to 52 weeks to be granted to employees not ordinarily resident in the State but who are temporarily employed here. The purpose of the legislation is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: People in full-time education are excluded normally from receipt of rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, people participating in approved courses under the back to education allowance scheme receive a standard weekly rate of payment equivalent to the maximum rate of their previous social welfare payment and may retain any secondary benefits, such as rent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I have received the correspondence referred to by Deputy Penrose relating to entitlement to payment of a full increase in respect of a qualified adult for the purposes of old age contributory pension. For the purposes of most other social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based on the income of the spouse or partner. A qualified adult increase at the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (29 Sep 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government programme of decentralisation, it is proposed that all headquarter sections of the Department will relocate to six provincial locations; Drogheda, Carrick-on-Shannon, Sligo, Donegal town, Buncrana and Carrickmacross. As part of the Department's decentralisation implementation plan, the maintenance recovery section, which comprises some 16 posts and is currently located in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Following the introduction of the farm assist scheme in 1999, farm income, including payments under the forest premium scheme, is now assessed on a more favourable basis than hitherto was the case. All gross yearly income, both on the farm and off-farm, engaged in by the farmer and his or her spouse or partner is reduced to allow for all costs necessarily incurred in carrying out the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 355 together. For the purposes of that pension and most other social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based on the income of the spouse or partner. A qualified adult increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse's or partner's income is less than €88.89 per week, and tapered reduced rates are payable...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 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. Amounts held in special savings investment accounts are treated in the same manner as other capital. Last October, I requested my Department to carry out an examination of the current arrangements for the assessment of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance scheme, BSCFA, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function regarding decisions on individual claims. A person may qualify for payment of a back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 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 workforce. Since the scheme was first introduced, its primary focus has been towards people who most need additional training or...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (4 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department recently undertook an examination of accesses to a particular computer record. During the period examined, our records show that 125 individuals accessed the record in question. The details of those who accessed the systems were brought to the attention of my Department's management. In addition to a general circular to staff stressing confidentiality obligations, a further...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 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 workforce. The conditions for entitlement to the third level option of the back-to-education allowance scheme were revised with...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fund: Social Welfare Fund (4 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The amount of pay related social insurance paid annually by employers into the social insurance fund over the past five years is set out in the following table: 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 â'¬,000 â'¬,000 â'¬,000 â'¬,000 £,000 Employer Contributions 4,000,313.00 3,692,896.00 3,520,443.00 3,252,034.00 2,176,458.00 ...