Results 3,201-3,220 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (10 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Social welfare programmes aim to be responsive to the needs of those who depend on income maintenance support while providing incentives to assist people to become more independent financially, particularly through employment. A number of measures have been introduced in recent years to remove disincentives to taking up employment and to assist in the transition from welfare to work. These...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 261 to 263, inclusive, together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in decisions on individual claims. With the exception of those participating in my Department's back to education allowance...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department 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. Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a recipient of a social welfare or Health Services Executive payment who has...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Department has allocated 37 posts for four different locations in County Kildare. A total of 26 posts are currently filled in Newbridge local office, with a further six posts in the Department's investigative office in Newbridge, two posts in the Department's investigative office in Athy and two posts in the investigative office in Naas. There is currently one vacancy in the Department's...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 270, inclusive, together. The company in question is a worldwide supplier of information and communications technology, ICT, industry research to suppliers and users of ICT. It has a number of services based around its continuous research programme. In addition to the provision of standard research papers and provision of access to the authors and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2005 provided, inter alia, for the extension of eligibility for the respite care grant to people providing full-time care and attention who are not in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. Those in receipt of the latter payments receive the grant automatically without having to make a separate application. The grant has been paid to 37 people in the Dublin 15 area.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (9 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Prior to the engagement of consultants, a rigid procurement process is undertaken in my Department in accordance with public sector procurement guidelines and best practice. The achievement of value for money is the central criterion throughout the process. Once a preferred bidder has been identified, my Department agrees a contract, which details the scope of the services to be provided by...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In mid-October, I held a pre-budget forum which was attended by 31 representative organisations which included five of the members of the End Child Poverty Coalition. The five organisations were Barnardos, Children's Rights Alliance, Open, Pavee Point and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. At the forum, each organisation had the opportunity to present its key priorities for consideration in...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together. In mid-October, I held a pre-budget forum which was attended by 31 representative organisations, including Age Action Ireland. At this forum, each organisation, had the opportunity to present its key priorities for consideration in advance of budget 2006. I thank Age Action Ireland for its contribution to the forum and the valuable work...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The farm assist scheme was introduced in the Social Welfare Act 1999. The new scheme was designed specially for farmers on low incomes and replaced the existing smallholders assistance scheme. The scheme includes a preferential means test, taking into account both the farm income and off-farm self-employment of farmers and spouse. Like unemployment assistance and the previous arrangements for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is in receipt of farm assist at the weekly rate of €107.10. As the spouse of the person concerned is in receipt of injury benefit in her own right he is not entitled to a qualified adult allowance in respect of her. The entitlement of the person concerned is also subject to the limitation in the legislation which provides that, where one spouse is entitled to one of a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid up to age 19 in the case of children who are still in full-time education and children with disabilities. Government policy over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on child benefit, to the advantage of all families....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in decisions on individual claims. Rent supplements are subject to a statutory limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for supplement may incur. The Dublin...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 432 together. In December 2003 as part of the Government's announcement of the new decentralisation programme, it was decided that 220 posts would be decentralised from my Department to Carrick-on-Shannon. The Office of Public Works commenced the process of identifying suitable accommodation in the town and it was decided to pursue a two phased...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one weekly social welfare payment is payable to an...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Diet supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Any person who is receiving a social welfare or Health Service Executive payment, who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and who is unable to provide for his or her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The disability allowance, personal expenses rate, was provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005, at an amount not exceeding €35 per week, effective from 1 June 2005. This payment replaced the spending allowances, formerly paid by the health boards, to people in residential care since prior to 1999 who are not eligible for full disability allowance, solely due to their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The budget for 2005 provided, inter alia, for the extension of eligibility for the respite care grant to people providing full-time care and attention who are not in receipt of either carer's benefit or carer's allowance. Those in receipt of the latter payments receive the grant automatically without having to make a separate application. A total of 436 applications were refused. In 348...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In August 2005, the payment frequency for customers paid by electronic fund transfer, EFT, was moved from weekly in arrears to weekly in advance. This brought EFT payments into line with personalised pension order, PPO, books payable at post offices. A once-off double payment was made to EFT pension and allowance customers in August 2005 to facilitate this change. The double payment consisted...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There is no appeal pending in respect of the person indicated. However, an appeal is being processed in respect of his spouse. The person applied for disability allowance in December 2004. In the course of investigating his entitlement it came to light that he and his spouse owned a farm. This had not been disclosed when his spouse made a claim for disability allowance. On the basis of this...