Results 4,341-4,360 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The number of people in receipt of a one-parent family payment with an address in the Dublin 11 postal district is 2,467. The breakdown by category is unmarried parents, 2,079; separated spouses, 376; widowed persons, 11; and prisoners' spouses, one.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The objective of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, is to provide assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their basic needs. In addition to a basic weekly allowance, assistance may be provided in the form of supplements which may...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The back-to-education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme 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 work force. To qualify for participation in the scheme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant social welfare...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The free travel companion pass scheme was introduced in 1990 for persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. Some of those who are eligible for a companion free travel pass include recipients of disability allowance or invalidity pension who are medically assessed as being unfit to travel unaccompanied; people who are blind or...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The conditions for receipt of the extended respite care grant are set out in the Social Welfare Bill, which this week passed Second Stage and was referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs. The following conditions will apply: the carer must be providing full-time care to a person who is in need of such care, as is the case with recipients of carer's allowance; a full-time...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that, apart from an informal inquiry from the people concerned, it has no record of an application by them for rent supplement. If they wish to apply...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that it is awaiting the return of the appropriate application forms from the person concerned. As soon as she finds accommodation to rent and supplies...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned commenced employment under the rural social scheme, on 12 February 2005. That scheme is administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. It is a matter for that Department to decide on eligibility, as well as whether participants are entitled to any secondary benefits. Under social welfare legislation, decisions on claims must be made by deciding...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Under the regulations governing carer's allowance, a person may participate in employment for a maximum of ten hours per week. Following the necessary investigations to determine his entitlement to the allowance, his application was refused on the grounds that he was employed in excess of the ten hours allowed each week. My Department received a notice of an appeal in this case on 15 February...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 10 January 2005. His claim was disallowed by the deciding officer on the grounds that he was not available for full-time work and not genuinely seeking employment. The person appealed against this decision to the social welfare appeals office â appeal received on 7 February 2005 â and an appeals officer is of the opinion that an...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for carer's allowance on 10 November 2004. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test that applies is satisfied. In this case, the full-time care and attention condition is satisfied. The case has been forwarded to an investigative officer of my Department for a...
- Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: In 2004, my Department sent 140 tonnes of paper and approximately 5.5 tonnes of electrical equipment for recycling. Information on other categories requested by the Deputy is not available as such waste is not separated and weighed at present. Arrangements are being made for the introduction of a comprehensive waste management system that will result in the recycling of waste produced, to the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for an increase in her carer's allowance in respect of a second care recipient on 28 January 2005. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test that applies is satisfied. A decision issued on 8 February 2005 to the person concerned refusing her application on the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 101 and 102 together. 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. From January the maximum rate of carer's allowance for a carer under 66 years increased from â¬139.60 to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Credit Cards: Departmental Credit Cards (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The total expenditure incurred by corporate charge card transactions from May 2002 to 27 January 2005 was â¬55,856.97. These transactions can be categorised under the following headings: travel, accommodation, official entertainment, official gifts, conferences and training courses, technical manuals, magazine subscriptions, computer equipment and stationery and post.
- Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: In 2002, my Department's press office engaged the services of Carr Communications for a short period to advise on public relations strategy. The contract was for the period March â April 2002 and the cost was â¬6,534. There are five agencies under the aegis of my Department and the details requested in respect of these are as follows. The Combat Poverty Agency engaged Bill O'Herlihy...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, mortgage interest 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. The Dublin and mid-Leinster region of the Health Service Executive has no record of an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned. If he...
- Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I thank all the Deputies who spoke on the Bill. I listened to every contribution and took careful note of the themes, ideas and concerns put forward by Deputies. It was a very constructive debate and I thank each and every Deputy who took the trouble to contribute to it. It was the type of debate I hope we can have on many occasions so that we can steer the policy forward. For the first time...
- Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I am aware the Deputy wishes to ask a range of questions in respect of such disregards and I will deal with them on Committee Stage. It may be of assistance to the Deputy to know that one-parent family payment recipients may also benefit from the budget improvement in the assessment of capital for means purposes. This significantly increases the capital disregard from â¬12,700 to â¬20,000....