Results 801-820 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

Written Answers — Employment Action Plan: Employment Action Plan (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) was introduced on a phased basis in September 1998 when the Department began referring all persons under 25 who were six months on the Live Register to FÁS for interview with a view to job placement or offer of training. As the NEAP progressed, the programme was extended to include other groups crossing nominated thresholds of employment....

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

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a number of supports for low-income families with children. The principal support is child benefit, a universal payment which is neutral vis-a-vis the employment status of the child's parents and does not contribute to poverty traps. A second support is the qualified child increase, paid with weekly social welfare payments. In addition, weekly support is provided...

Written Answers — Advocacy Services: Advocacy Services (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The introduction of a personal advocacy service is provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007. The Act has as its primary purpose the amendment of the Comhairle Act, 2000, to assign additional and enhanced functions to the Citizens Information Board, formerly Comhairle, which operates under the aegis of my Department, to enable it to introduce a personal advocacy service to...

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

Séamus Brennan: Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are currently 18 Appeals Officers serving in the Social Welfare Appeals Office, all of whom are Assistant Principal Officers.

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

Séamus Brennan: I introduced legislation (under the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pension Act 2006) whereby all persons in receipt of State Pension (Transition) would transfer automatically to the State Pension (Contributory) on attaining age 66. State Pension (Transition) is paid on a Thursday and State Pension (Contributory) is paid on Friday. The change was implemented from January 2007 for customers...

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

Séamus Brennan: One of the key objectives of the 2007 social welfare package was to protect and enhance the value of all weekly rates of payment in relative terms by giving increases which are well in excess of the projected rate of inflation (4.1%) for this year. In Budget 2007: i. Contributory State pensions were increased by €16 per week, or 8.3%, with proportionate increases being given to those on...

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

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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. It is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate of the relevant social welfare payment that...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (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 this group. These included a commitment to raise the qualified adult increase for the spouses and partners (age 66 or over) of contributory pensioners to the level of the state pension (non-contributory). Spouses...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together. My Department operates two main types of pension scheme — contributory and non-contributory payments. Contributory payments are paid on the basis of social insurance contributions made over a person's working life. Missionaries who have made sufficient social insurance contributions can qualify for the state pension (contributory)....

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

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

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

Séamus Brennan: Widows and widowers can qualify for one of a number of different schemes depending on their particular circumstances. The contributory widow(er)'s pension is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or that of the deceased spouse. Those qualifying for this benefit are not subject to a means test. Those without the necessary PRSI...

Financial Services Regulation. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: 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 operating the service. The credit union movement has been a key partner in MABS since its inception. Many local voluntary and statutory bodies, such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the...

Financial Services Regulation. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I have held up the legislation because of the complexity of trying to get around this issue. The legislation allows moneylenders to charge up to 188%. The Financial Regulator's report on the licensed moneylending industry, published last week, shows that they charge this amount. The legislation allows them to charge even higher rates in certain circumstances. The report shows that 71% of...

Pension Provisions. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: 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 Green Paper will be published when the Government has completed its considerations in this regard. The preparation of the Green Paper follows a period of increased activity in the development of pensions policy, which has seen the...

Pension Provisions. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Well spotted.

Pension Provisions. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Green Paper on pensions is before the Cabinet and consideration is being given to its publication date. We have not yet completed our full consideration of the document but it is a fine work and will add enormously to the debate on pensions. It is a matter of judgment as to whether such a document should be published in the current political climate. I did respond to a request from...

Social Insurance Fund. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The social insurance fund derives its income mainly from pay-related social insurance contributions from both employers and employees. It provides insured contributors with both long-term pension benefits and short-term benefits such as unemployment and disability payments. The cumulative surplus in the social insurance fund since 2002 was €1.273 billion in 2002, €1.529 billion in 2003,...

Social Insurance Fund. (25 Apr 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are 2.8 million contributors to the social insurance fund. Expenditure in 2005 was €5.6 billion, a substantial part of which went to pensioners and the income to the fund was €6.1 billion. Employment is strong and income from employment is growing. The review before the Government examines it from 2006 to 2061, a long-term financial economic strategic review. In the short term,...