Results 1,581-1,600 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It has always been an objective of my Department to provide quality customer service in Irish. Since 2000 this approach has been augmented by the inclusion of a specific commitment to service in Irish in the existing principles of quality customer service which are in operation Civil Service-wide. To meet these objectives, the Department has implemented a number of initiatives including...

Written Answers — Social Inclusion: Social Inclusion (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I welcome the ESRI report, Trends in Welfare for Vulnerable Groups, 1994-2001, which will be a useful addition to the research on poverty levels for vulnerable groups. The report provides an insight into the situation of these groups in terms of their risk of experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Although this report refers to the period from 1994 to 2001, a combination of economic...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 45, 60, 217 and 221 together. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. It is also available to carers and to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. It applies to travel within the State and cross border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. The scheme...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 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 with the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April. Some 274,000 customers — 151,000 with basic fuel allowance and 123,000 with smokeless fuel supplement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Following the social welfare increases awarded in last year's budget, the lowest rate of social welfare payment currently stands at €148.80 per week. Government policy as regards social welfare rates is guided by the commitment in the revised national anti-poverty strategy to increase the lowest social welfare rates to €150 per week — in 2002 terms — by 2007 and to set the appropriate...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 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. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the new EU member states without the limitations being imposed at that time by many of the other member...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service is provided by 52 MABS companies operating out of 65 centres throughout the country. At present, there are 150 money advisers and 78 administrative staff working in the MABS. A total of €13.62 million has been allocated to the service in 2005, which is an increase of €2.2 million over the 2004 allocations. During the 12 month period up to December...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 65 and 220 together. Child benefit is the principal means of providing support to families with children in Ireland. It is neutral vis-À-vis the employment status of the child's parents and maximises choice for parents. Child benefit is paid monthly in advance to over 530,000 families is respect of over 1,020,000 children. Child benefit rates now stand at...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 34, 49, 51, 91, 97 and 219 together. According to census 2002, there are 48,500 people providing personal care for over four hours per day. Almost 25,450 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. This means that over 52% of the 48,500 carers, as estimated by the CSO to be caring for more than four hours per day, are in receipt...

Written Answers — Poverty Reduction: Poverty Reduction (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 77 and 94 together. The most recent statistics on poverty levels in Ireland are derived from the 2003 EU survey on income and living conditions, EU-SILC, released earlier this year by the Central Statistics Office, CSO. This survey replaces the living in Ireland survey, LIIS, which was conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, until...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year. The scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. 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 service executive...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 64, 66, 74, 81 and 83 together. The one-parent family payment is designed to provide income support to parents with insufficient means who are parenting alone. This can arise as a result of being widowed, or following separation or divorce, or being unmarried. The findings of the recent EU survey on income and living conditions, EU SILC, bear out the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity-gas allowance, telephone allowance and free lifetime television licence is available to people living permanently in the State who must satisfy certain qualifying conditions. As of 30 September 2005, there were 308,923 customers in receipt of the telephone allowance from my Department. The primary objective of the telephone...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has a comprehensive information policy which is designed to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their entitlements in a timely fashion. It also ensures customers are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur. From time to time my Department undertakes specific information campaigns on the introduction of new schemes, changes in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Government is anxious to ensure that as many people as possible can qualify for contributory pensions in their own right and in this regard a number of measures have been introduced over the years which make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. These include the reduction in the yearly average number of contributions required for pension purposes from 20 to ten and the special...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The programme for Government contains a commitment to a scheme of all-Ireland free travel for pensioners resident in all parts of the island. The scheme would enable pensioners resident in Ireland to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland. Likewise, pensioners in Northern Ireland would travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in this State. In July...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has overall responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, which provides assistance to people experiencing difficulty in meeting repayments on borrowings. It is now a countrywide service provided by 52 locally based companies limited by guarantee with a budget of €13.62 million. The MABS programme provides money advice, including the publication of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: With effect from 1 June 2005 a new weekly disability allowance expenses payment of €35 has been made to people resident in institutions who previously did not qualify for a disability allowance payment. This allowance has also replaced pocket money and other allowances that were formerly paid to such residents by the Health Service Executive. The number in receipt of the allowance is 2,737...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Diet 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. A person in receipt of a social welfare or Health Service Executive payment, who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and who is unable to provide for his or her food...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (27 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 84 together. 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 contained in the rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere is...