Results 4,361-4,380 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy knows, it is not that easy. This is a complicated issue.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It depends where the ball is.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: One also has to watch out for the odd own goal. The study to which I refer is being undertaken by a total of six Departments, including the Taoiseach's. It will be available in the middle of this year and we will then see how we can use it to move matters forward. I am interested in progressing matters as fast as possible. A number of Deputies referred to the back to education allowance. I...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Referral to Select Committee. (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs in accordance with Standing Order 120(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 12 January 2005. One of the conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit is that a person must have sustained a substantial loss of employment and a reduction in earnings. Information provided by the employer, in this case, indicates that although there has been a reduction in the average number of days per week worked by the person...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The various functions undertaken by me since my appointment are outlined in the following appendix A. Appendix A. 1.Meetings with the following organisations: Pensions Board officials Carers Association National Association of People with an Intellectual Disability Age Action Ireland Accord CORI Disability Federation of Ireland The British Ambassador Children's Rights Alliance ICTU...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 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 disabilities 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. A variety of travel concessions are granted by most EU member states to retired...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (16 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. At present, to qualify for participation in the scheme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant...

Written Answers — Seachtain na Gaeilge: Seachtain na Gaeilge (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Eagráitear seachtain na Gaeilge fé choimirce Chonraidh na Gaeilge; is é feidhm na seachtaine an ghaeilge a chur chun cinn trí imeacthaí agus ghníomhaíochtaí a reachtáil ar fud na tíre. I mbliana, mar a dheineadh cheanna, cuirfear seachtain na Gaeilge in iúl do baill fóirne mo Ranna i slite eagsúla. Foilseófar bailiúcháin suimiúil d'airteagail i nGaeilge, scríofa ag baill...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 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. Entitlement to rent supplement rests with the tenant, not the landlord. Payment is normally made to the tenant, although a person who is awarded rent supplement may nominate his or her landlord as being the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, 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. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If he wishes to apply he...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to introduce the second of two Bills intended to implement the €874 million social welfare package announced in budget 2005. This sum represents a 40% increase of €244 million on the 2004 package of €630 million and brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2005 to over €12.25 billion. That...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Order for Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The appeal in question relates to an application for rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the executive has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement on the grounds that he had deprived himself of income, which would have...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Exemption from payment of employment contributions, for a period not exceeding 52 weeks, can be granted in respect of the temporary employment of persons who are not ordinarily resident in the State. Such exemptions are subject to the persons concerned having valid work permits and confirmation that social insurance contributions are paid in their home country. The social insurance cost of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 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 the person's entitlement to this allowance, the application was refused on the grounds that the person concerned is employed in excess of the ten hours allowed each week. The person concerned was notified of this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person's claim for disability allowance was refused by a deciding officer following an examination by a medical assessor of the Department who expressed the view that he was not medically qualified for this payment. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office and in the context of his appeal he was examined by another medical assessor who was also of the opinion that he...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 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 exceptional needs payments to be made to assist with essential, once-off expenditure in exceptional circumstances. There is no automatic entitlement to an exceptional needs payment. Every decision is based on consideration of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has not submitted an application for fuel allowance. The person concerned does not qualify for the allowance as the total weekly income of her household exceeds the qualifying income threshold, which in her case, is €374.99 per week. The person concerned is a qualified adult on her husband's old age contributory pension and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity or gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence schemes is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who fulfil a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66...