Results 4,321-4,340 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: They are better than that.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: What about common sense?

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: No regulations were broken because a code of practice applies to overpayments. As this was not viewed as an overpayment, the regulations did not apply. The overpayment category is clearly defined and categorised by the Department. Some overpayments are considered to be fraud and are dealt with in a particular way. There is overpayment that is the Department's fault. This occurs when a...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I rest my case.

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Applicants for the one-parent family payment are required to make ongoing efforts to seek adequate maintenance from the other parent of the child. Such maintenance is normally obtained by way of negotiation or court order. Increasingly, separated couples are using my Department's family mediation service, which is being progressively extended nationwide, to reach agreement. Where social...

Social Welfare Payments. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 64 together. Disability allowance is a personal allowance payable to people between 16 and 66 years of age who satisfy certain medical eligibility conditions and a means test. Under existing social welfare legislation, disability allowance is not payable where a person is resident in an institution and where the cost of his or her care and maintenance...

Social Welfare Payments. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy and I had a brief discussion on this matter on committee yesterday and no doubt we will return to it later. The Deputy will be aware that these people were not included prior to the 1999 legislation. After 1999, people who went into an institution could bring their disability allowance with them, therefore, they were entitled to the full disability allowance by virtue of going into...

Social Welfare Payments. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Deputy for those questions. There are two parts to this issue. One is the income part, which is the property of the person in receipt of the disability allowance or this new allowance. The other part is the amount the institution is permitted to have paid to it, which will be dealt with under legislation going forward. The first part of the issue is not involved in the...

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Increases in the numbers of non-marital birth, as revealed in statistics, do not necessarily result in comparable increases in the incidence of lone parenthood. In many cases the parents of the children are living together and will parent together. A significant proportion marry soon after the birth of their first child. Others continue to cohabit for a period afterwards. For example, CSO...

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is in that context that the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion last November requested the senior officials group which reports to it to draw up a report on obstacles to employment for lone parents. That report will include not just an examination of income support arrangements but also child care, education, training, information, employment and any other relevant supports. The group...

Social Insurance. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The concept of a week of insurable employment is a central feature of the operation of the social insurance system and is defined in legislation. PRSI contributions are paid by employees and their employers at the relevant contribution rate for each week of insurable employment. These contributions progressively build towards entitlement to social insurance payments. Work sharing arrangements...

Social Insurance. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There is no intention on the part of the State to put anyone at a disadvantage by virtue of their work pattern. However, I understand how that can happen. This is a complicated area. Social insurance is based on contributions, and the pattern of work can affect the number of contributions a person ends up with. The final report of the social partnership working group will be published...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. It is also available to carers and to people with disability who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. It applies to travel within the State and cross-Border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. There have been a number of proposals for extending entitlement for free travel to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied to my Department for this pension in January 2005. Following an investigation of his circumstances by a social welfare inspector, a deciding officer determined that he was not eligible because his means, deriving from both a farm and capital, exceeded the maximum weekly statutory limit. He was notified of this decision as well as his right of appeal against it to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Department has been involved in a number of reviews and studies related to the one-parent family payment. These have included the Department's review of the one-parent family payment, regarding which a report was published in October 2001, and participation in an international OECD study on reconciling work and family life, entitled Babies and Bosses, Volume II of which contains the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 226, inclusive, together. The total numbers of personal public service numbers issued to each of the nationalities quoted by the Deputy in the period 1 May 2004 to 11 February 2005 are as follows: Malta 152 Hungary 2,029 Latvia 6,885 Poland 29,731 Estonia 1,842 Lithuania 13,439 Slovenia 75 Slovakia 5,889 Cyprus 26 Czech...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned initially made an application to my Department for disability benefit. His application was unsuccessful as he did not have any PRSI contributions paid in the relevant qualifying period. He subsequently applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Payment of unemployment assistance to the person concerned was terminated by my Department in November 2004 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office, and an appeals officer will review his case as soon as possible. The person concerned subsequently applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government decentralisation programme announced as part of budget 2004, my Department is required to relocate 100 posts to Sligo and 225 posts to Carrick-on-Shannon. According to figures received by my Department from the central applications facility the number of applicants for Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon is 69 and 280 respectively. These figures represent applications made...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is payable in respect of children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 years while they remain in full-time education, or where they have a physical or mental disability. Payment of child benefit does not extend beyond a child's 19th birthday. Child benefit is payable in respect of all children whether or not the parents are in...