Results 2,221-2,240 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Currently EU migrant workers in Ireland with an entitlement to Child Benefit are in one of two categories, those who have their families living with them in Ireland and those whose families reside in their home country. Applications for child benefit from EU migrant workers who come to live in Ireland with their families are dealt with under domestic legislation. Entitlement to Child Benefit...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Where both members of a couple are claiming social welfare payments and one or both of the claimants is in receipt of unemployment assistance, farm assist or pre-retirement allowance their combined payments cannot exceed the amount which would be payable if only one person was being paid with an increase for a qualified adult dependant, where appropriate. In this situation one or both of the...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The provision of supports for community groups is now a matter appropriate to my colleague the Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 to 300, inclusive, together. Under the Government decentralisation programme announced in Budget 2004, this Department is due to decentralise all of its Dublin based headquarters sections, involving some 1,210 staff, to six locations throughout the country. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency and Comhairle, agencies under the aegis of the Department,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The major Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents", which I launched in March this year, addresses the social exclusion and risk of poverty faced by many such families and their children. The report puts forward radical proposals for reform of the income support system for all parents on a low income. The report proposes the expanded availability and range of...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department issues mailshots to customers as a means of communicating with them regarding their entitlements and changes which arise from time to time as a result of budgetary and other actions. The mailshots form part of the Department's control activities on the Child Benefit scheme. In the past 5 years a total of 6 mailshots have issued to Child Benefit recipients. One result arising...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The over 80 allowance is an extra payment to people receiving social welfare pensions and in Budget 2006 I was pleased to raise this to €10 per week. The allowance is paid in respect of the main claimant and is not available to those receiving social welfare support as qualified adults on the pension of their spouse or partner. There is no necessity for a person to make an application for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The current range of payment options offered by my Department include payment at post offices by means of a pension order book and by electronic or manual postdraft, issued to the customer's designated post office each week. Currently some 55% of customers have chosen to receive payment through their local post office. Payments are also made by cheque to the home address of the customer and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 308, 309 and 311 together. I do not intend to take over responsibility for housing from my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, nor do I intend to get directly involved in meeting the housing requirements of those currently on housing waiting lists. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme administered on my...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

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. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Ireland has social security agreements with Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. These agreements came into effect between 1989 and 1999, except for that with the UK which came into effect in 1971. Ireland also has a bilateral understanding with Quebec since 1 October 1994. All of these agreements are currently in operation and working...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), 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 relation to decisions on individual claims or in the Executive's appeals process. Statistics are not available on the number of people...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: Family Income Supplement Claims Received Claims Awarded Claims Refused Pending Decision at the end of the year Position at 31 December 2001 16,582 12,396 3,844 1,264 31 December 2002 17,878 13,439 3,300 1,454 31 December 2003 18,611 13,795 3,235 2,582 31 December 2004 20,458 17,904 3,507 1,175 31...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2006)

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 relation to decisions on individual claims. The Executive has been contacted concerning this case and has advised that a rent supplement has recently been awarded to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Social Welfare legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to unemployment benefit or assistance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions on an on-going basis is not entitled to an unemployment payment. Part-time fire-fighters are entitled to an unemployment payment in respect of days that...

Written Answers — : (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare code provides that a person who is employed by his/her husband or wife is excepted for social insurance coverage (Part 2 of the First Schedule of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005). This is a long-standing provision and it mirrors similar exclusions under employment protection legislation. This applies to both men and women in family employment and recognises the...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Since 1997, with the first national anti-poverty strategy, the Government has adopted a strategic approach to reduce and eliminate poverty. The need for a strategic approach reflects the complex nature of poverty which is multi-faceted in its causes and effects, and, as a consequence, requires a multi-policy response. It has been a priority of successive governments to reduce and, if...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: With more than 1 million children living in this country, one must approach the figure of 65,000 with caution. A series of debates is taking place on how to measure poverty. The ESRI produced a list of eight basic deprivation indicators, including not having a roast or its equivalent once a week; not having a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day; having to go without heating due...

Pension Provisions. (20 Jun 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The construction federation operatives pensions scheme operates as a registered employment agreement under the Industrial Relations Acts. There is a statutory obligation on employers to register eligible employees in the scheme and pay the necessary contributions. Since its inception in 1965, the scheme was a defined benefit scheme with flat rate contributions and benefits, which could only...