Results 3,721-3,740 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for a bereavement grant on 20 May 2005 in respect of her late son who had been in receipt of disability allowance. While a six-weeks-after-death payment has been made to the person concerned, bereavement grant is not payable in this case as the PRSI contribution conditions are not satisfied. She was informed of this decision on 31 May 2005. In instances where...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was awarded the electricity allowance from 1 January 1997 and a free television licence from his next renewal licence after that date. He was also awarded a telephone allowance from 10 September 1997. According to An Post's records, the person concerned was issued with a free lifetime television licence in December 2004 when his current licence expired.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned has been awarded the household benefits package with effect from 28 May 2005. This entitles him to electricity and telephone allowances from that date. He is also entitled to a free lifetime television licence from his next licence renewal date. The ESB and Eircom will be notified shortly to apply the allowances to his accounts.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The means test for supplementary welfare allowance, through which rent supplements are provided, requires that all types of household income, including maintenance payments for a lone parent and his or her children, must be taken into account in determining a person's entitlements under the scheme. Up to €95.23 per week of maintenance payments can be disregarded in the means test for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent 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. Payment of rent supplement is subject to a means test. The Dublin and mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that during a recent routine review of this case, it came to light that in addition to her...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: An increase in the workforce participation of older people is one of the more important measures identified at EU level as a means of ensuring the sustainability of pensions systems in the future. One of the main factors contributing to the projected problems for the pay as you go pensions system is a reduction in the available workforce in the years ahead. Accordingly, it is important to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: One of the conditions for receipt of the various allowances available under my Department's household benefits package is that a customer must be permanently residing in the State. In September 2003, entitlement of the person concerned to an old age non-contributory pension ceased as he was no longer resident in the State. As a consequence, his entitlement to the household benefits package...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There is an obligation on a person who applies for old age non-contributory pension to fully declare his or her means. Once a pension is in payment, the pensioner is, by law, obliged to notify the Department of any change in the means. If the means are not fully disclosed, an overpayment of pension may arise. If, subsequent to the death of such a recipient, it comes to light that not all of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 452 to 463, inclusive, together. Since the introduction of the scheme, entitlement to old age non-contributory pension has been determined by reference to an applicant's means, along with the other relevant eligibility requirements. In assessing means, account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Northside Community Law Centre is one of a number of organisations which are funded by my Department's scheme of grants for the development and promotion of information and welfare rights. Since its establishment in 1975, the centre has been funded exclusively by State agencies, including the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. My Department took over direct funding of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The electricity allowance covers normal standing charges and up to 1,800 units of electricity each year. VAT due on this standard allowance is also covered. The value of the allowance, if fully taken up, is €359.91 per annum. The objective of the electricity allowance is to provide for a basic standard of electricity usage. That it is a unit-based allowance means any increases in the price...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides people receiving social welfare payments with a range of payment options best suited to their needs. Electronic fund transfer, EFT, to personal bank accounts is one such payment method. When EFT was introduced, payments were made four weeks in arrears. In 2000 the payment frequency was reduced to two weeks in arrears and it was further reduced to one week in arrears in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent 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. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. However, special arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people to retain a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. The Government recently agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long-term stay charges. As I have already confirmed to the House in regard to those charged, such repayments will not impact on their current pension entitlements and I will make the necessary legislative changes to bring this provision into effect when full...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The position remains as stated in my reply to Question No. 184, which I answered for the Deputy on 2 June 2005. The Dublin and mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive advised then that, following an assessment of her housing needs by the local authority, the person concerned was considered to have a suitable housing option available to her. In the circumstances, the executive...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are no commissions, inquiries or tribunals of the kind referred to under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Free travel companion passes have been issued to over 14,000 people aged 75 and over and to almost 900 people aged 70 to 74 because they qualify through other criteria, for example, where they are recipients of invalidity pension or wheelchair users. As I have no details of how many of those aged 70 to 74 would be medically assessed as unfit to travel alone, it is not possible to estimate the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent 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. One of the conditions for receipt of rent supplement is that the tenant must be in need of accommodation and be unable to obtain it from within his or her own resources. Local housing authorities assess the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Jun 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government decentralisation programme announced as part of budget 2004, 1,300 staff of the Department and its agencies are required to relocate to seven provincial locations, namely, Drogheda, Buncrana, Donegal, Carrick-on-Shannon, Sligo, Carrickmacross and Monaghan. The Department has prepared outline plans for the movement of posts and sections under the programme. The programme...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jun 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. As with other social assistance schemes, a means test is applied to the carer's allowance to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need....