Results 3,021-3,040 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: EUROSTAT, the statistical office of the EU, publishes comparisons of social protection expenditure as a percentage of GDP across the EU. This encompasses not only social welfare expenditure but also expenditure in other areas such as health care, social housing, employment support programmes and other social inclusion programmes. The latest such statistics were released on 20 October 2005 and...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In mid-October, I held a pre-budget forum attended by 31 representative organisations which included various community and voluntary groups. Each of the organisations had the opportunity to present its key priorities for consideration in advance of budget 2006. I thank all those who participated for their contribution to the forum and for the valuable work which they do in their communities....

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The role of my Department in the area of supporting Irish emigrants has been built around providing good quality, clear and comprehensive information. It is essential that Irish emigrants, who are considering returning to Ireland to live, have up-to-date information available to them. My Department carries out this function by supporting the various voluntary agencies involved in this work....

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Since 2000, a total of 2,486 PRSI exemption certificates have been granted in respect of the temporary employment of persons not ordinarily resident in this country. Of that total, 1,504 certificates were granted to the company in question. An annual breakdown of those certificates follows at Appendix 1. Appendix 1: Exemption Certificate Issued. Year Number of Exemptions Issued Number...

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Estimates for my Department, as set out in the recently published 2006 Abridged Estimates Volume, provide for spending on social welfare totalling €12.49 billion. Those Estimates make no provision for changes in eligibility, entitlements or rates of payment for any of the underlying programmes, which are matters for the forthcoming budget. Even before announcements in next week's budget...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The two main methods of measuring poverty in Ireland are the national "consistent poverty" measure based on a relative income threshold of 60% of median income and enforced deprivation of certain items and the EU "at risk of poverty" measure, which is simply based on 60% of median income. The 2003 EU Survey of Income and Living Conditions, EUSILC, indicates that 3.5% of people at work fell...

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The programme for Government contains a commitment to a scheme of all-Ireland free travel for pensioners resident in all parts of the island. The scheme would enable pensioners resident in Ireland to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland. Likewise, pensioners in Northern Ireland would travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in this State. In July...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The role of my Department in supporting emigrant groups has centred on providing good quality, clear and comprehensive information for Irish citizens wishing to emigrate and those hoping to return to Ireland to live. My Department ensures that appropriate and relevant information for emigrants is available by funding and supporting the various voluntary and community groups and organisations...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is a payment made to low-income families with children who are in employment. Family income supplement was introduced in 1984 to provide income support for employees with families who are on low earnings, preserving the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be marginally better off than if they were fully reliant on social welfare...

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The 2006 Estimates for social welfare spending were published on 17 November last and represented the cost of implementing existing levels of service in the various programmes and services provided by my Department and its agencies. Normally, improvements in social welfare schemes and services are introduced by way of the budget. In that regard, I will be developing budget proposals on the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In May 2000, a special half rate old age contributory pension was introduced to enable people with pre-1953 insurance who could not qualify for a payment under normal qualifying conditions, to receive a pension. People already qualifying for pensions at less than half rate could also benefit from the scheme. In order to be eligible for the payment, a person requires 260 paid contributions at...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department assists and encourages long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by the Department's employment support service. One significant measure is the back to work allowance scheme which incentivises and encourages long-term unemployed people, lone parents and certain persons...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Arising from comment in the media, my Department carried out an examination of accesses to the computer record of the person concerned. During the period examined, our records show that 125 accesses to the record in question took place. On a general basis, staff of my Department are authorised to access individual records as long as it is for legitimate business reasons. In view of the number...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy is aware, in February of this year, because of slow progress on our pensions targets, I asked the Pensions Board to conduct a review of our overall strategy. I received the report of the Pensions Board on 7 November. The review encompasses an examination of the main strategic recommendations contained in the national pensions policy initiative, including those relating to the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 97 together. The question of allowing older people to defer claiming their social welfare pension is something which has been under consideration by my Department and which features in the recently completed national pensions review. Generally speaking, the system would involve people being offered the option of deferring drawing their social welfare...

Written Answers — Financial Services Access: Financial Services Access (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I understand that this report, a joint study by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, on the issues concerning access to financial services in Ireland, will be completed in spring 2006. I expect that the findings of this research, which builds on earlier Combat Poverty Agency studies on money-lending and indebtedness, will assist in the development...

Written Answers — Farm Incomes: Farm Incomes (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My recent written reply to the Deputy stated that there had been a decrease of 781 customers in receipt of farm assist in the 12 months to September 2005. There are several reasons for that drop-off in numbers, not least of which has been the take-up of the rural social scheme, which is operated by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. That scheme specifically targets...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Widow's or widower's non-contributory pension is a means-tested payment payable to a widow or widower whose income falls below a certain limit and who does not satisfy the contribution conditions for contributory widow's or widower's payment. Widow's or widower's non-contributory pension is a payment for widows and widowers who do not have dependent children. In assessing means for social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 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 basis for the restriction contained in the rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere is not paid certain social welfare payments on arrival in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

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. The conditions for entitlement to the third level option of the back to education allowance scheme were revised with...