Results 3,401-3,420 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The amounts paid to the company in each year since 1997 are as in the table. Year £ 1997 Membership subscriptions 39,205 1998 Membership subscriptions 42,207 1999 Membership subscriptions 34,654 2000 Attendance at conferences and events 2,651 Membership subscription 21,447 Review of IS Division 243,998 Review of Application Integration Strategies 8,470 ...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Details of my Department's contracts with the company concerned since 1997 are set out in the table. Year Amount (Euro) Project(s) 1997 nil 1998 162,112 IS Services management support 1999 61,455 Civil Registration Modernisation Planning study 2000 109,601 (1) Service Delivery Modernisation Prototype 2001 4,356,272 (1) Civil Registration Modernisation 2002...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 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 (19 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for unemployment benefit a person must have, since the date of entry into insurance, at least 52 weeks of insurable employment for which the appropriate social insurance contributions have been paid and must have at least 39 paid or credited contributions in the relevant tax year, currently 2003, or 26 paid contributions in the relevant tax year and 26 paid contributions in the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A deciding officer disallowed the unemployment benefit claim of the person concerned from 3 August 2005 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking employment. The person concerned had failed to produce sufficient evidence to show that he had been consistently seeking full-time work. It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision and a form for this purpose was issued to him...

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (19 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Disability Federation of Ireland was one of over 30 representative organisations that attended this Department's pre-budget forum with me on 17 October 2005. At this forum, each organisation had the opportunity to present its key priorities for consideration in advance of budget 2006. I have also received the written submission from the Disability Federation of Ireland, which contains...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, a recipient of a social welfare or Health Service Executive payment who has exceptional heating cost due to ill health or infirmity may qualify for a heating supplement. Due to the different nature and format of applications...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Responsibility for the Family and Community Services Resource Centre, FRC, programme was transferred to the Family Support Agency on its establishment in May 2003. Applications to join the FRC programme then fell to be addressed by the newly established agency. The Ballyduff Family and Community Support Forum Limited's application to join the programme, originally submitted to the then...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: For unemployment assistance purposes, the assessment of means for non-householders resident in the parental home has always taken into account the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by him or her by virtue of residing with a parent or step-parent. In practice, this is taken to mean the value of free board and lodging to a claimant and such value is ascribed having regard to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Across the majority of social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based, inter alia, on the spouse or partner's income. An increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse or partner's income is €88.88 per week or less, with a reduced, or tapered rate payable where this income is between €88.88 and €220. This lower threshold of €88.88 was last...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The social insurance system in Ireland is generally based on compulsory paid PRSI contributions on which entitlement to a range of contingency-based payments are established. Workers are insured under the Social Welfare Acts as either employed or self-employed contributors. Employees and their employers generally pay contributions at PRSI Class A, whereas self-employed workers generally pay...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 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 is the applicant's habitual residence. It is not based on citizenship, nationality, immigration status or any other factor. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: From 1 May 2004 the requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes including child benefit. The effect of the condition is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere is not paid certain social welfare payments on arrival in Ireland. The question of what is a person's habitual residence is decided in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 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 in the new rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The restriction is not based on citizenship, nationality, immigration status or any other factor. The question of what is a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 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. A central unit was set up to monitor the implementation of the habitual residence condition. An important function of the central unit is to make decisions on complex cases. The unit also provides advice and support,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Regulation (EC) No 647/2005 came into force on 5 May 2005. The main element of the proposal concerns amendments to Article 4(2a) and Annex IIa of EEC Regulation 1408/71, details regarding special non-contributory cash benefits, to take account of new benefits of this type in national legislation and of developments in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the classification of such...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or health service executive payments towards their additional heating needs during the winter season. As a long-standing policy within the scheme, fuel allowances are not payable in cases where a person has access to their own fuel supply, or is benefiting from a subsidised or low cost...

Written Answers — Childhood Development Initiative: Childhood Development Initiative (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I welcome the launch of the Tallaght west childhood development initiative, to which the Deputy refers. The initiative aims to improve significantly the lives of disadvantaged children living in Tallaght west, who are amongst our most vulnerable citizens. The Deputy will be aware that the initiative follows on from a study published last year entitled 'How are our Kids?', based on a sample of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to providing quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme and may include establishment of the customer's social insurance record, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 542 together. There are no special on-call allowances or ex-gratia payments paid to staff working in my Department's press office. The staff in question are paid at standard Civil Service rates appropriate to their grade. In instances where additional attendance, outside normal office hours, is required staff may be paid overtime in accordance with...