Results 1,001-1,020 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance or 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. To qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive and 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. The Executive has advised that the weekly rate of €65 rent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, which is administered by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), 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 (HSE) may make an exceptional needs payment...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is a universal payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. The policy of the Government over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on child benefit for all families. Commitment to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 600 together. In the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007, which is currently before the Oireachtas, I have provided for new arrangements whereby people in receipt of a social welfare payment, who are also providing full time care and attention, will be able to retain their main welfare payment and receive another payment, depending on their means,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In 2006, I announced a wide range of important reforms for non-contributory pensioners in conjunction with the introduction of the State Pension (non-contributory). As part of these reforms, I also announced a specific additional disregard of €100 per week where the pensioner and/or spouse is in employment. This new disregard allows a State Pensioner to earn additional income through...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Rent supplements are subject to a statutory limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for supplement may incur. The Health Service Executive may in respect of sub-divisions of its functional areas, set...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance from 10 January 2007 at the weekly rate of €185.80. He made a retrospective application for the period from 27 October 2006 to 9 January 2007. A Deciding Officer was not satisfied that the person concerned fulfilled the conditions for receipt of jobseeker's allowance for the period in question and disallowed the application. It...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to the introduction of a scheme of all-Ireland free travel for pensioners resident in all parts of the island of Ireland. I have recently announced the implementation of the all-Ireland free travel scheme commencing from April 2 which will enable pensioners resident here and in Northern Ireland to travel free of charge on all eligible...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 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 essentially a social welfare replacement income which is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There is a significant level of travel expenditure in my Department's budget, arising from the dispersed nature of my Department's services, and inter alia, the fact that a considerable level of investigative work must be carried out in the course of delivering the Department's services nationwide. The total amount paid out in 2006 by my Department in respect of such travel expenses was...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 Mar 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 52 independent companies with some 230 staff nationwide operating the service. In 2006, €16.4 million was provided to fund the service and in 2007 I have further increased the annual allocation to €17.67 million to assist the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Supply contracts for my Department's electricity, gas and oil requirements are negotiated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) through the Government Supplies Agency. The total energy cost in 2002 amounted to €1,518,923. The total energy cost in 2006 amounted to €2,715,144. Figures in relation to the exact quantities of energy that these figures represent are not readily available....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The gender balance at each grade in my Department and in the agencies that come under the aegis of my Department are set out in the tables. Department of Social and Family Affairs Grade Female Male Total Secretary General 1 1 Deputy Secretary 1 1 Assistant Secretary 1 5 6 Principal Officer * 23 48 71 Assistant Principal Officer 61 155 216 Higher Executive Officer 283 357 640...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person's invalidity pension appeal request was received in my Department from the Appeals Office on 5 December 2006. Due to an oversight the person's file was not referred to the Appeals Office until 6 March 2007. The relevant departmental papers and comments of the Social Welfare Services on the matters raised in the appeal have been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The administration of the Family and Community Services Resource Centre (FRC) Programme is one of the key functions of the Family Support Agency. The aim of the FRC Programme is essentially to help combat disadvantage by improving the function of the family unit. FRCs empower disadvantaged people by involving them in decisions which affect them and in using and developing their own skills,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The national fuel scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive (HSE) payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season and adjoining months. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April and are included in the recipient's weekly payment during this period. The allowance represents a contribution...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 607 to 609, inclusive, together. Occupational pensions schemes in Ireland are organised on a trust basis and trustees are required to, at all times, act in the best interests of the scheme members. The operation of pensions schemes is governed by the provisions of the Pensions Act 1990 which specifies that the trustees must provide for the proper investment...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (20 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are no outstanding EU directives within the area of responsibility of my Department that have not been transposed into law.