Results 2,301-2,320 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Prior to Budget 2005, the Respite Care Grant was payable by my Department to recipients of Carers Benefit and Carers Allowance. The grant is paid automatically with their primary payment. Budget 2005 extended entitlement to the Grant to all full-time carers irrespective of means or contribution record but subject to certain conditions relating, notably, to employment. To date some 7,300...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (30 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Social Welfare Appeals Office deals with about 14,000 appeals on an annual basis. On 30 April 2006 there were 5,625 appeals on which work was in progress. A breakdown of these cases is outlined. The average length of time taken to deal with appeals in 2005 was 20 weeks. If allowance is made for the 25% most protracted cases the average falls below 13 weeks. A breakdown of average...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (30 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The number of overpayments set up as a result of detected or suspected fraud and their corresponding monetary value for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 is as shown in the table. Years Number Monetary Value EUR million €m 2004 19,158 18.6 2005 15,978 18.2 2006 (to date) 6,111 7.4 Information on overpayments is not maintained in such as way as to facilitate a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: An earnings limit was introduced for deserted wife's benefit in 1992. The limit, which applied only to new claims after August 1992, was set at EUR12,697.38 a year (gross earnings). Where earnings are in excess of EUR12,697.38 a year, there may be entitlement to a reduced rate of payment of deserted wife's benefit, provided gross earnings do not exceed EUR17,776.33 a year. Following the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 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 Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned has been provided with an application form for rent supplement....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There is no record in my Department of having received an application for the Respite Care Grant from the person to whom the Deputy refers. As soon as the completed application form has been received, the application will be processed as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There is no record in my Department of an application having been received from the person to whom the Deputy refers. I am arranging for a form to be forwarded to the person concerned. As soon as this is completed and returned to my Department, it will be processed as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (25 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 179, 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 1,300 staff, to six locations throughout the country. Only a limited number of posts will remain in Dublin. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 May 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 Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of a formal application for rent supplement from the person...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The report referred to by the deputy is the Examination of the Cost of Healthy Eating and Specialised Diets undertaken on behalf of my Department by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) which was published in January 2006. The report is the most comprehensive review of specialised diets and foods costs that has been carried out in Ireland in the past decade. It has brought an up...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 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. Rent supplements are subject to maximum rent levels that an applicant for rent supplement may incur which are established by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 together. 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: Leitrim 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Awarded claims 238 247...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work income support, payable to low income families with children. Currently family income supplement and disability benefit can be paid together for a period of six weeks, which is intended to cover cases of short-term illnesses or injury. This ensures that for the majority of short-term disability benefit claims, a person can receive disability...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: This Government is committed to introducing a personal entitlement for pensioner spouses, currently in receipt of the qualified adult increase, at the level of a full non-contributory pension. The cost, based on current rates of payment, of bringing all of the relevant qualified adult rates up to the level of the non-contributory pension personal rate is €55 million in a full year. This...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Part III of the Pensions Act 1990 requires occupational pension schemes to provide preserved benefit, calculated in accordance with the normal scheme rules, for members who leave relevant employment after completing at least two years service in the pension scheme. Part III also provides for the revaluation of such preserved defined benefits from the date of termination of employment to the...

Written Answers — Official Hospitality: Official Hospitality (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department does not possess a wine cellar.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would be complex given the wide range of charging regimes and cost structures that exist in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (23 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: All carers who are in receipt of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, prescribed relative allowance or constant attendance allowance on the first Thursday in June will automatically receive the respite care grant without having to apply for it. Similarly, carers who are in receipt of domiciliary care allowance from the Health Service Executive will automatically receive the respite care grant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Recipients 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. This scheme and related supplements are administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance or BTEA is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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 work force. At present, to qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must be, prior to commencing an...