Results 761-780 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive. It provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs. Certain categories of people are excluded from receipt of rent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, which is administered by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive, is designed to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. Under the legislation governing the scheme, the Health Service Executive may make an exceptional needs payment to people...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned is an asylum seeker in receipt of a direct provision allowance of €19.10 granted to her when she resided at accommodation provided previously through the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The HSE has further advised that in view of her moving from direct...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: EU migrant workers have an entitlement to Child Benefit and other "family benefits" including Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) under EU Regulation 1408/71. Where a national of an EU State with a family is working in Ireland, the worker is entitled to payment of such benefits, even if the children are resident in the worker's home country. Applications for family benefits from EU migrant...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all of its customers. Applications are processed and decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply. However, from time to time, due to exceptional circumstances, delays in processing claims can arise. My Department administers State Pension (Non-Contributory)...

Written Answers — Personal Public Service Numbers: Personal Public Service Numbers (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The personal public service number, PPSN, is the individual's unique reference number for accessing services from Government Departments and public bodies. Children born in Ireland are allocated PPS numbers automatically when their births are registered. In all other cases an application must be made at a local office of my Department. When applying for a PPSN, individuals are asked to...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Information on poverty and deprivation levels is now derived from the annual EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU–SILC). This survey commenced in Ireland in 2003 and is conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The most recent results, for the year 2005, record continuing positive trends in relation to poverty and social exclusion. The overall rate of consistent poverty in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 80 together. The review of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to which the Deputy refers was carried out as part of the Government's Expenditure Review Initiative. Overall the review concluded that the scheme has, over the years, met its objective of guaranteeing that every person in the State has a minimum level of income sufficient to meet...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is currently undertaking an examination of the impact of the payment of Disability Allowance from age 16 on retention rates in second level education. Following the outcome of this review, consideration will be given to a further review of other aspects of the scheme. The current review is part of the implementation of the recommendations of the working group which examined the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, also receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments,...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 56, 65, 70, 75, 82, 83 and 90 together. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent companies nationwide employing some 230 money advice staff including Money Advisors, Co-ordinators, and Administrators who deliver the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department through its various social insurance and assistance schemes provides income supports to people to meet their basic living needs, including food, clothing, heat and light. Supplements are also payable in certain circumstances for specific needs, for example, fuel allowances, rent supplements, living alone allowance for older people or the household benefits package for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities to facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The back to education allowance (BTEA) is one of these second chance education opportunities schemes. It is paid at a standard weekly rate...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50, 61, 76, 78 and 99 together. As the House is aware, the Government is committed to producing a Green Paper on pensions in accordance with the partnership agreement "Towards 2016". The preparation of the Green Paper follows a period of increased activity in the development of pensions policy which has seen the publication of two major reports by the Pensions...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 57, 58, 86, 87, 93 and 185 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is and has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 71 together. I welcome the findings of the 'Evaluation of Mainstreaming Social Inclusion in Europe' study which was led by the Combat Poverty Agency and involved surveys undertaken in nine European countries among policy makers and administrators at central, regional and local levels of Government, social partners and representatives of anti-poverty...

Written Answers — Customer Service: Customer Service (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all of its customers and is particularly concerned that high standards of service are maintained in respect of telephone enquires. Customer telephone enquiries in relation to State Pension Transition/Contributory (SPT/C) entitlements are dealt with by a special contact centre in the Social Welfare Services Office, Sligo. A...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Approximately 76 per cent of workers pay PRSI Class A and Class H at the rate of 4 per cent. A further 11 per cent of workers pay social insurance contributions at the Class S rate. These contributions which are subject to various thresholds, allowances and ceilings, accrue entitlement to a range of benefits and pensions under various social insurance schemes. The current employee PRSI...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Since taking Office this Government has made the needs of older people a priority with the inclusion of several commitments in the Programme for Government aimed specifically at the group. I am very pleased to say that we have delivered on the commitment to increase the State pension to €200 per week by 2007. In addition, the state pension (contributory) has been increased in the last...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 188 together. Under social welfare legislation, the social insurance status of spouses working in a family business can vary. Spouses and relatives who are engaged in a business partnership are treated as individual self-employed contributors who are liable to social insurance contributions. These contributions enable them to build up an insurance...