Results 1,461-1,480 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In order to qualify for an old age contributory pension a person must have entered social insurance at least ten years before reaching pension age, have a minimum number of paid full-rate employment contributions on his or her record, currently 260, and have a yearly average of at least ten contributions paid or credited from 1953, when the unified system of social insurance came into effect,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Students pursuing a full-time course of study are disqualified from receiving unemployment assistance under section 126(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993. Payment of unemployment assistance, to the person concerned, was disallowed on the grounds that he was not available for and was not genuinely seeking work as he is a full time student. The back to education allowance is a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: People in receipt of social welfare or health service executive payments, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The south eastern area Health Service Executive has advised that no diet supplement claim has been...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Dublin/mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive, which administers the rent supplement scheme on my behalf, has advised that the person concerned received a reduced rate of supplement for September 2005 as she was not resident in her accommodation for the full month. She moved into the accommodation in question on 7 September and received rent supplement of €856.60 for the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The quarterly national household survey for the first quarter of 2002 shows overall occupational and private pensions coverage in the construction industry at 35.8% for employees and 48.4% for those who are self-employed. The main occupational scheme in the sector is the construction federation operatives pensions scheme. This scheme operates as a registered employment agreement under the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, a recipient of a social welfare or Health Service Executive payment who has exceptional heating cost due to ill health or infirmity may qualify for a heating supplement. Due to the different nature and format of applications...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Responsibility for the Family and Community Services Resource Centre, FRC, programme was transferred to the Family Support Agency on its establishment in May 2003. Applications to join the FRC programme then fell to be addressed by the newly established agency. The Ballyduff Family and Community Support Forum Limited's application to join the programme, originally submitted to the then...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: For unemployment assistance purposes, the assessment of means for non-householders resident in the parental home has always taken into account the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by him or her by virtue of residing with a parent or step-parent. In practice, this is taken to mean the value of free board and lodging to a claimant and such value is ascribed having regard to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Across the majority of social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based, inter alia, on the spouse or partner's income. An increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse or partner's income is €88.88 per week or less, with a reduced, or tapered rate payable where this income is between €88.88 and €220. This lower threshold of €88.88 was last...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The social insurance system in Ireland is generally based on compulsory paid PRSI contributions on which entitlement to a range of contingency-based payments are established. Workers are insured under the Social Welfare Acts as either employed or self-employed contributors. Employees and their employers generally pay contributions at PRSI Class A, whereas self-employed workers generally pay...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The basis for the restriction is the applicant's habitual residence. It is not based on citizenship, nationality, immigration status or any other factor. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: From 1 May 2004 the requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes including child benefit. The effect of the condition is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere is not paid certain social welfare payments on arrival in Ireland. The question of what is a person's habitual residence is decided in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The basis for the restriction in the new rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The restriction is not based on citizenship, nationality, immigration status or any other factor. The question of what is a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. A central unit was set up to monitor the implementation of the habitual residence condition. An important function of the central unit is to make decisions on complex cases. The unit also provides advice and support,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Regulation (EC) No 647/2005 came into force on 5 May 2005. The main element of the proposal concerns amendments to Article 4(2a) and Annex IIa of EEC Regulation 1408/71, details regarding special non-contributory cash benefits, to take account of new benefits of this type in national legislation and of developments in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the classification of such...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 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 service executive payments towards their additional heating needs during the winter season. As a long-standing policy within the scheme, fuel allowances are not payable in cases where a person has access to their own fuel supply, or is benefiting from a subsidised or low cost...

Written Answers — Childhood Development Initiative: Childhood Development Initiative (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I welcome the launch of the Tallaght west childhood development initiative, to which the Deputy refers. The initiative aims to improve significantly the lives of disadvantaged children living in Tallaght west, who are amongst our most vulnerable citizens. The Deputy will be aware that the initiative follows on from a study published last year entitled 'How are our Kids?', based on a sample of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to providing quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme and may include establishment of the customer's social insurance record, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 542 together. There are no special on-call allowances or ex-gratia payments paid to staff working in my Department's press office. The staff in question are paid at standard Civil Service rates appropriate to their grade. In instances where additional attendance, outside normal office hours, is required staff may be paid overtime in accordance with...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is assumed the question refers to the practice of allowing time off in lieu, TOIL, of paid overtime for staff on certain occasions where staff are in attendance beyond normal hours. In my Department, compensatory leave may be granted, in the form of time off in lieu of payment for extra attendance outside normal hours for staff up to and including the grade of higher executive...