Results 3,441-3,460 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Civil service posts at the levels of assistant secretary and deputy secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards. 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 scheme. Within this overall limit, payments of up to 20% can be made to individuals. Details of...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (12 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The following consultancies were undertaken by Deloitte & Touche for my Department since 1 July 1997: review of the Social Welfare Appeals Office — 2002, the cost of this review was €170,359; and review of the role and structure of the Pensions Board — 2000, the cost of this review was €132,459. In addition, a contract has recently been awarded to the company for support in the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The current upper income limit for eligibility for a back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, BSCFA, for a couple with one child is €368.10 per week. The household income limits under the scheme are indexed each year in line with the contributory old age pension rate in the case of couples, or widow/er contributory pension in the case of lone parent applicants. Applicants are...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The regulatory basis for the PRSI exemption scheme is contained in Article 97 of SI 312 of 1996. The legislation provides for an exemption from PRSI contributions for up to 52 weeks to be granted to foreign-based employers on behalf of employees not ordinarily resident in the State but who are temporarily employed here. The purpose of the legislation is to avoid a situation whereby workers...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: People on employment support schemes such as community employment may qualify for rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Their claims are normally assessed under the standard scheme rules concerning residency, means, housing need and other relevant factors. Under these rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Detailed measures to give effect to the strategies to combat child poverty in Ireland are set out in the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion and in the national children's strategy. Ending child poverty is also one of ten special initiatives in Sustaining Progress. The most significant measure to support families with children in recent years has been the substantial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 293 together. The person concerned was recently awarded an old age non-contributory pension at the maximum personal rate of €166 per week with effect from 15 July 2005. A pension book payable from 30 September 2005 will issue to his local post office shortly for collection by him. A cheque in respect of arrears of pension due to him for the period...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 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 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 5,804 applications were received up to Wednesday,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 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 carer's allowance and child benefit. The basis for the restriction contained 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Health Service Executive, which administers the supplementary welfare scheme on my behalf, is applying the rules relating to rent supplement correctly in this case. Under section 172(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993, people in full-time education are not eligible normally to receive assistance, including rent supplements, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Health Service Executive has advised that, following a review of her entitlements, the person concerned has been awarded a rent supplement of €16.20 for the month of July 2005 increasing to €65.20 per month from 1 August 2005. The person concerned has been informed of this decision and payment of her monthly rent supplement, together with any outstanding arrears, will be issued to her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance, BSCFA, which is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive, provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. An allowance of €80 is payable in respect of qualified children aged between two and 11 years or €150 in respect of qualified children aged...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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 workforce. I reduced the qualifying period for access to the third level option of the scheme to 12 months — 312 days — in the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded an electricity allowance with effect from 1 April 2005 and a telephone allowance from 30 March 2005. The relevant service providers have been notified to apply the allowances to the customer's accounts. A free lifetime television licence has also been awarded with effect from the expiry date of the customer's current television licence.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders in receipt of long-term social welfare or health service executive payments towards their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are not payable in cases where a person has access to his or her own fuel supply or is benefiting from a subsidised heating service such as that provided by Dublin City Council...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: For the purposes of most other social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based on the income of the spouse or partner. A qualified adult increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse-partner's income is €88.88 per week or less and tapered reduced rates are payable where income is less than €220 per week. The lower threshold was last increased...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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 workforce. Since the scheme was introduced, its primary focus has been people who most need additional training or qualifications to...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government decentralisation programme announced as part of the budget for 2004, my Department is to relocate 230 posts to Donegal and 120 posts to Buncrana. The decentralisation implementation group, DIG, report to the Minister for Finance on 19 November 2004 recommended those locations and organisations to be included in the first phase of moves, and to be regarded as potential...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back-to-education allowance is a second-chance education opportunities scheme 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 workforce. The scheme is not intended for students who have already commenced full-time education or for the short-term unemployed....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded an electricity allowance with effect from 2 September 2005 and a telephone allowance from 6 September 2005. The relevant service providers have been notified to apply the allowances to the customer's account. A free lifetime television licence has also been awarded with effect from the expiry date of the customer's current television licence.