Results 2,901-2,920 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: There are currently 25,077 persons receiving carer's allowance. This is the highest total since the scheme was introduced. My Department received 8,846 applications for carer's allowance in 2005. A total of 8,793 were decided, of which 5,066 applications were awarded and another 960 were withdrawn. The number of persons who had their initial application for the allowance refused was 2,767....

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned received unemployment benefit for the period 9 September 2003 to 18 February 2004. When he made his application he stated that his employment had terminated due to lack of work. On 9 September 2003, the employer was requested to confirm this. On 20 February 2004, the employer replied to the query stating that the person concerned was on a career break. A deciding officer,...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the assessment of means of a person who has an irregular income for the purposes of claiming unemployment assistance. In applying the legislation, deciding officers do not treat artists or musicians any differently to any other unemployment benefit or assistance claimant. Unemployment assistance is a means tested payment. Assessment of means...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fund: Social Welfare Fund (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The amount of money collected by way of superannuation payments by employees of the Department in each of the years 2003 to 2005, is as follows: 2003 —€2,243,102.35 2004 —€2,585,313.17 2005 —€2,859,248.20 These moneys were paid over to the superannuation and retired allowances Vote of the Department of Finance. Moneys collected by way of PRSI contributions by employees of the...

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

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for back to education allowance a customer must have been in receipt of a social welfare payment for a minimum of 156 days prior to commencing the course. The person concerned received unemployment benefit from 30 June 2005 to 26 October 2005. He does not, therefore, qualify for the back to education allowance.

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Civil Service policy dealing with bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace — A Positive Working Environment — was introduced across the Civil Service in July 2000. A copy of the policy was distributed to all staff in my Department. The policy was reviewed last year to take account of subsequent developments at national and EU level and also to take on board the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Civil Service posts at the levels of assistant secretary and deputy secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards. Recommendations in regard to awards are made by the Secretary General of each Department and the operation of the scheme is overseen by the Committee for Performance Awards. The funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by the...

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

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned lodged a claim for disability benefit on 20 December 2005. He did not qualify for disability benefit as he did not satisfy the qualifying conditions based on his Irish contributions alone. In particular, he did not have any contributions in the governing contribution year 2003. As the person concerned has advised the Department that he was resident in the UK for an...

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

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 in regard to the extension of...

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

Séamus Brennan: My Department assists and encourages long-term unemployed, and other welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service. In addition, my Department's locally based facilitators operate the technical assistance and training grants, TATS, and special projects fund to provide enhanced...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department did not produce a formal annual corporate procurement plan for the years in question. However, I can assure the Deputy that my Department maintains rigorous oversight of procurement matters through established control mechanisms. Furthermore, my Department has participated in a Department of Finance-led procurement capacity building initiative and is now drawing up a procurement...

Written Answers — Publication of Reports: Publication of Reports (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The five 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, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, and the Pensions Ombudsman have each provided me with a copy of...

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

Séamus Brennan: The qualifying conditions for contributory old age pensions require a person to have paid at least 260 contributions at the appropriate rate, enter insurance ten years before pension age and achieve a yearly average of at least ten contributions paid or credited on their social insurance record from 1953, when the unified system of social insurance came into effect, or the date of entry into...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: An increase in workforce participation of older people is one of the more important means of ensuring the sustainability of pensions systems in the future and has been recognised as such internationally. It is important that we encourage and facilitate people who would like to continue to work beyond normal retirement age. The Government is already committed to removing the retirement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme 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 at least 21 years of age — 18...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The number of posts filled in my Department at present is 4,281. This is 96 posts higher than the Department's authorised number of core posts as set under the Government policy on public service numbers. The filling of posts, where they fall vacant, is considered in the context of the overall excess on sanctioned numbers, but taking account of the needs of the service. The present position...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The current minimum funding standard, which applies to defined benefit, DB, occupational pension schemes under the Pensions Act 1990, is a wind-up standard. It is designed to ensure that, if a funded DB scheme winds up, there are sufficient assets to meet the liabilities at that point in time. However, that is only one aspect of the overall funding standard regime. Provisions which are in...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In 2004 just over 52% of those at work had a supplementary pension. This figure falls to about 23% for those aged 20 to 24. Coverage figures for those aged 25 to 34 is approaching the overall average at just over 50% while those in the age bracket of 35 to 44 have a coverage rate of over 62%. Clearly, coverage among younger workers is a problem and the Pensions Board has sought to target this...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department that are subject to Freedom of Information legislation, in respect of certain functions only, are Comhairle and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman. The nature of the exemptions is as follows: For Comhairle, exemption from disclosure, without the consent of the Comhairle board, of confidential information obtained by staff, a committee...

Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Opposition's bluff has been called.