Results 3,921-3,940 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 to 292, inclusive, together. In 1991, responsibility for the allocation of RSI numbers, which were subsequently renamed personal public service, PPS, numbers in 1998, transferred from the Revenue Commissioners to my Department. In 1991, it was proposed by my Department and agreed with the Department of Finance to replace the cardboard registration card...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together. Current payment options for old age pensions include payment at post offices by means of a pension order book and direct payment to customers' bank, building society or post office savings accounts. My objective is to ensure that a range of payment options is available to customers and that service is continually improved by providing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to assist an eligible person who is unable to provide for his or her accommodation costs from his or her own resources and who does not have accommodation available from...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 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 board payments and who are unable to provide for their extra heating needs during the winter season. It is not intended to meet the full cost of fuel. A fuel allowance of €9 per week, €12.90 in designated urban smokeless fuel zones, is payable to eligible households for a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the treatment benefit scheme administered by my Department, persons insured under the Social Welfare Acts and their dependent spouses can avail of benefit in respect of a certain range of dental, optical and aural services subject to satisfying certain contribution conditions. To qualify for medical appliance benefit an insured person who reached 66 years before July 1992 is required to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department issues over half a million cheques every month and, as a general rule, there are no problems regarding their encashment. Occasionally, people experience difficulty in cashing their cheques, mainly because of inadequate identification. Such problems were resolved on a case by case basis. Cheques are but one of a range of payment methods offered to customers and would account for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in determining entitlement in individual cases. In general, people in full-time education are excluded from receiving assistance, including rent supplements, under...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 301 together. It has not been possible in the time available to examine comprehensively the details of the case mentioned by the Deputy. I will write to him shortly in regard to this matter.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The centre concerned is one of a number of organisations which are funded under 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, with my Department taking over direct funding in 1995....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The position remains as advised in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 284, which I answered for the Deputy on 8 March 2005. The Dublin-mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to apply she should contact the community welfare officer at her local...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a reduced rate widow's non-contributory pension. This is a means tested payment. When assessing a person's means, account must be taken of any earnings, savings, investments, property or income which the person may have. It was decided on 18 March 2005 that the person concerned was entitled to a reduced rate widow's non-contributory pension of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The extension of free travel to Irish pensioners living abroad could have, apart from the cost and administrative implications, legal implications arising from the prohibition of discrimination against pensioners of other EU member states. If the scheme were extended along the lines suggested, it is likely that it would have to be extended to all pensioners who are EU nationals coming to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 159, 161 and 162 together. In accordance with Government policy in regard to control and management of expenditure, I submit expenditure management reports to Government every second month outlining expenditure incurred in the year to date and projected end-year position for both my Department's Vote 38 and the social insurance fund, SIF. My Department...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The amounts expended specifically on software packages, consultancy services and hardware, including maintenance charges, to manage my Department's accounts, are only available in respect of the years from 1998 inclusive. The total amounts in each of these years are as follows: 1998 —€33,164; 1999 —€49,419; 2000 —€82,700; 2001 —€245,454; 2002 —€369,831; 2003 —€202,609;...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am committed to facilitating greater social welfare client choice of telephone services. In this regard my Department is in contact with the regulator, ComReg, regarding the technical and administrative requirements for mobile phone, as well as land-line services. To date, three mobile phone companies have expressed an interest in participating in the telephone allowance scheme and these...

Written Answers — Postal Service: Postal Service (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Four of the five points raised by the person concerned in the circular type letter received by the Deputy concern matters which are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The other point relates to allegations that my Department is forcing its customers to change from payment at post offices to direct payment into bank accounts. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is designed to assist people in low income employment with qualified child dependants where they might otherwise be only marginally better off than if they were fully dependent on a welfare payment. The part-time job incentive, PTJI, scheme applies where a recipient of long-term unemployment assistance takes up insurable employment for up to 24 hours per week. A...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: On 22 April 2005, there were 16,726 persons under the age of 25 years in receipt of an unemployment assistance payment. Of these, some 1,332 received a part-payment as they were employed on a casual or part-time basis. In addition, some 4,253 persons under the age of 25 years were claiming unemployment assistance but not receiving a payment. Of these, 50 are being disallowed, 1,106 are...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides assistance to eligible people who have little or no income. The Dublin/mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that payment of a basic supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement to the person concerned ceased when she ceased...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The respite care grant is an annual payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. Both the carer and person in receipt of care must satisfy certain conditions. The carer must be aged 16 years or over; ordinarily resident in the State;caring for the relevant person on a full-time basis; living with the person being cared for or, if not, contactable...