Results 4,421-4,440 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive, is one of a number of social assistance schemes which is subject to a habitual residence condition with effect from 1 May 2004. The effect of the condition is that a person whose habitual residence or "centre of interest" is deemed to be other than in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The conditions for receipt of the extended respite care grant will be set out in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill and regulations. As I set out in my speech at budget time, the carer must be providing full-time care to a person who is in need of such care. As with recipients of carer's allowance, a full-time carer must not be engaged in employment for more than ten hours per week. Those...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The decentralisation implementation group's report to the Minister for Finance on 19 November 2004 recommended the locations and organisations to be included in the first phase of moves and those to be regarded as potential early movers. While Carrickmacross was not included in the first phase of moves or as a potential early mover, the decentralisation implementation group is scheduled to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In assessing means for social assistance purposes, moneys held in special savings investment accounts are treated in the same manner as other capital. Account is taken of any cash income the person may have, along with the value of capital and property, except the home. Capital may include stocks and shares of every description, which are assessed according to their current market value,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A number of arrangements in the social welfare code take account of the work of people in the home for pension purposes. The Government is committed to extending pension cover to as many people as possible. A number of measures which have been introduced in recent years make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. I refer, for example, to extended social insurance coverage and an easing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The maximum rate of qualified adult increase is payable where a claimant's spouse or partner has a gross weekly income not exceeding €88.88. Regulations provide for the gradual or tapered withdrawal of the qualified adult allowance for claimants of certain welfare payments where the spouse or partner of the claimant is earning between €88.88 and €220 per week. The allowance is fully...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (1 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social and Family Affairs are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Social Welfare Tribunal and the Family Support Agency. The Pensions Ombudsman also comes under the remit of the Department. One appointment was made to the board of the Combat Poverty Agency and two appointments were made to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Diet supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The amount of supplement payable is subject to a means test and depends on which of two categories of diet — low cost or high cost — has been prescribed by the applicant's medical advisor and the income of...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Department of Social and Family Affairs endeavours to ensure that applications for unemployment assistance are decided as quickly as possible in all local offices. A person awaiting a decision on an application for assistance from the Department or whose application is in dispute who finds that he or she has insufficient means with which to provide for his or her basic needs may apply for...

Written Answers — Health Service Allowances: Health Service Allowances (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A person on a community employment scheme may apply for rent supplement. The claim will be assessed under standard rules concerning means, housing need and other factors that are considered in all new cases. Rent supplement will be awarded if the standard conditions are satisfied. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Corporate charge cards are currently held by seven officers of my Department. Three cards which were no longer required were closed during the life of the Government. The cards are issued on the strict condition that they will be used solely for official business purposes and the named card holder is the only person authorised to use the card. Such official usage includes the purchase of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 543 together. Rent and mortgage interest supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive. The southern regional office of the executive was contacted about this case. It has advised that it does not have a record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If she wishes to apply,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 545 together. The Government committed itself in the programme for Government and Sustaining Progress to increasing the pension payment for qualified adults aged 66 or over to the same level as the personal rate of the old age non-contributory pension. The estimated cost of this commitment is €44 million. Considerable progress has already been made...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people in full-time employment. Arrangements have been in place for a number of years, however, which allow people to retain a portion of their rent supplement when they take up employment through the back to work scheme and other approved schemes. The weekly household income limit in such cases, the ones to which the Deputy refers,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders in receipt of long-term social welfare or health board payments to meet their additional heating needs during the winter season from October to April. Under the scheme, a fuel allowance of €9 per week is paid to eligible households during the 29-week period, with an additional €3.90 per week being paid in designated smokeless...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Pension payment by electronic funds transfer has been made weekly in arrears since November 2004, whereas pension payment by payable order — book voucher — is made weekly in advance. Most people who opt for electronic funds transfer do so when they make their initial claim so there is no interruption to the flow of payments for such claims. When an existing recipient opts to switch from...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 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 programme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am satisfied that the current provisions for assessing property are legal and equitable. In assessing means for social assistance purposes, account is taken of any cash income the person may have, along with the value of property, including capital. Property may include stocks and shares of every description, savings certificates, bonds and national instalment savings, money invested in a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Jan 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Special cross-Border arrangements have been in place since 1995 under a scheme that allows southern and northern free travel pass holders to undertake cross-Border journeys free of charge. The introduction of free travel on an all-Ireland basis would enhance the existing arrangements by enabling southern pass holders to make free onward journeys within the North. Similarly, Northern Irish...