Results 1,921-1,940 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person to whom the Deputy refers was paid the respite care grant on 2 November 2005.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 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-mid-Leinster area of the HSE has advised that the rent supplement rate payable to the person concerned has been reviewed recently to take account of an increase in her rate of one parent family...

Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed). (8 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has a pivotal role to play in ensuring the fruits of our economic growth benefit the most vulnerable and that those who need support and encouragement get it. I have repeatedly stressed that as a country we can only really be proud of our booming economy and vibrant, modern country when it reaches down and lifts those who, for whatever reason, have been left behind or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 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 western area of the executive has advised that it has requested additional information from the person concerned regarding his application for rent supplement. When the executive receives this information...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (8 Dec 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 old age non-contributory pension scheme is one of the schemes affected. The basis for the restriction contained in the new rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The restriction is not based on citizenship,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is proposed to answer Questions Nos. 159 and 162 together. The supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme, of which rent supplement is a component, is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The rent supplement scheme is designed solely to provide support to individuals who are not in a position to provide for their own accommodation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As announced in the budget, I have made provision to extend the fuel allowance to people in local authority accommodation with communal heating services. I am pleased to inform you that the person concerned will have her free fuel allowance restored with effect from January 2006, backdated to the start of the present heating season.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The treatment benefit scheme operated by my Department provides a range of benefits in the areas of dental, optical and aural treatment for qualified PRSI contributors who are over 16 years of age and their dependent spouses. In budget 2006, an alternative condition of 26 paid contributions was introduced which reduces the previous requirement from 39 paid contributions allowing an extra...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 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,...

Social Welfare Bill 2005: Order for Second Stage. (13 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (13 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to introduce this, the first of two Bills intended to implement the €1.12 billion social welfare package announced in the budget. This substantial investment represents a 28% increase on the 2005 package of €874 million. It brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2006 to more than €13.5 billion,...

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

Séamus Brennan: The details requested by the Deputy of the numbers availing of the farm assist scheme have been compiled from data that is maintained on a local office catchment area basis and these figures do not correspond exactly with county boundaries. The figures are as follows: 2002 2003 2004 3/12/2005 Cavan 307 312 307 286 Monaghan 404 408 417 400 The cost of funding the farm assist...

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

Séamus Brennan: A fuel allowance of €9 per week is payable to eligible households during a 29 week winter heating period from the end of September to mid-April each year. An additional €3.90 per week is payable in the designated urban smokeless fuel zones. The scheme is expected to cost €85.4 million in 2005. The numbers qualifying for the fuel allowance scheme from 2000 to 2005 are set out in the...

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

Séamus Brennan: The term "fuel poverty" has been described as the inability to afford adequate warmth in a home, or the inability to achieve adequate warmth because of the energy inefficiency of the home. The primary contributory factor is the energy efficiency of the private and public housing stock. Problems relate mainly to older housing with poor insulation and draught-proofing or inefficient heating...

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

Séamus Brennan: 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. There have been a number of requests and inquiries about the extension of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in decisions on individual claims. In determining entitlement to rent supplement, the executive must be satisfied that the applicant has a genuine accommodation need, that the...

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

Séamus Brennan: In August 2005, the person concerned applied for an old age contributory pension. One of the conditions for receipt of this pension is that the claimant must have started paying insurance contributions in Ireland before reaching 56 years. Following an examination of his entitlement, his application was disallowed as he did not begin paying Irish contributions until he was aged 61 years. His...

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

Séamus Brennan: The old age contributory and retirement pensions are payable at ages 66 and 65 respectively. The contribution conditions for the schemes also differ in that a minimum yearly average of 24 contributions is required to qualify for a retirement pension whereas an average of ten contributions will qualify a person for an old age contributory pension. There are concerns across the EU about the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Dec 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 Insurance: Social Insurance (13 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The social insurance fund surplus at the end of September 2005 was €2,199 million; this is the latest confirmed figure available.