Results 2,461-2,480 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: The family income supplement, FIS, is designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is paid on a weekly basis over a period of 52 weeks, taking into account...

Written Answers — Community Welfare Officers: Community Welfare Officers (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive, on my behalf. The commission on financial management and control systems in the health service, which reported in 2003, noted that over the years the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of services which might be regarded as non-core activities. It...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There have been no formal discussions with the Department of Finance in relation to a waiver scheme for refuse charges. 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...

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

Séamus Brennan: Participants on the back to work allowance scheme are entitled to the allowance for up to three years and retain their entitlement to other secondary benefits, or for four years if opting for self-employment commencing in year one at 100%. For employees, the rate of payment is as follows: year one, 75%; year two, 50%; and year three, 25%. Participants who leave the scheme are allowed to...

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

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are available to eligible people through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The HSE, Dublin mid-Leinster area, has advised that it has thoroughly examined all information available to it on the circumstances of the person concerned and has determined that she is not eligible...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Department's central records system, CRS, contains 5.6 million active records. This database has been in existence since 1979. The personal public service, PPS, number, which is widely used to access public services, is the customer identifier in the database. Practically all the population has a PPS number included in the database. The CRS database is at the core of all the Department's...

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

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. Carers allowance is one of the schemes affected. The basis for the restriction in the new rules is the applicant's habitual residence. A person's habitual residence is decided in accordance with European Court of...

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

Séamus Brennan: Decontrolled rent allowance is payable to tenants of certain dwellings affected by the de-control of rents that occurred in July 1982. A tenant who suffers hardship due to a rent increase of a decontrolled rent may qualify for this form of rent allowance. The allowance is not assessable as means for the other social welfare or Health Service Executive payments. The number of persons in...

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

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement, FIS, is designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is paid on a weekly basis over a period of 52 weeks, taking into account a...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 465 and 466 together. The information requested by the Deputy regarding persons over 66 years in receipt of carer's allowance has been prepared in tabular format as follows: Total carers over 66 years in receipt of Carer's Allowance Carers 2003 2004 2005 2006* Over 66 caring for 1 2,003 2,216 2,506 2,512 Over 66 caring for 2 173 178 204 196...

Written Answers — Legal Advisers: Legal Advisers (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Legal advice and related support services for my Department are supplied by the office of the Attorney General and the office of the Chief State Solicitor, as appropriate. During the years 2004 and 2005, my Department incurred expenditure in seeking legal and technical advice on the development of occupational and personal pensions, particularly in the context of the Pensions (Amendment) Act...

Written Answers — Legal Advisers: Legal Advisers (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition, the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. The Pensions Board is the only State body, operating under the aegis of my Department, that employs a legal adviser in a...

Written Answers — Legal Advisers: Legal Advisers (25 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has a post of legal adviser, which is currently vacant due to a career break absence. The role of the post is clearly defined and states that the remit shall not encroach in any way upon the functions of the office of the Attorney General. All matters of major significance requiring legal advice continue to be referred to the Attorney General and advice from the Department's own...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefit package of free schemes comprises the electricity and gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence and is available to people living permanently in the State who satisfy specific qualifying criteria. The telephone allowance is applied as a cash credit on recipients' telephone bills. The value of the allowance is set at €20.41 per month —€40.82 per...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 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 decisions on individual claims. This case concerns rent supplement. The Health Service Executive has confirmed that the person concerned has requested a review of the amount...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy is referring to situations where a new baby is hospitalised for an extended period after birth and implications arising from that situation where entitlement to maternity benefit and maternity leave is of a defined duration. Entitlement to maternity benefit is contingent in the first instance on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. The right to maternity leave is established...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I assume the Deputy is referring to equity release products. These and other similar products allow home owners to benefit from some of the capital tied up in their homes, while continuing to live in them. The introduction of these products has implications for social assistance payments where the claimant is aged 65 years or over. Social assistance payments are designed to provide financial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who provide certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. From January this year the maximum rate of carer's allowance for a carer over 66 years of age increased from €169.80 to €200 per week. The maximum rate of the old...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (6 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department recognises the rights of customers under the Official Languages Act 2003 to be dealt with in Irish if they so wish and every effort is made to ensure that service through Irish is available and of a very high standard. In line with our responsibilities under the Act, staff of front-line areas have been encouraged and facilitated to attend training courses in Irish language...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Apr 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The commission on financial management and control systems in the health service, which reported in 2003, noted that over the years the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of services which might be regarded as non-core activities. It...