Results 1,041-1,060 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 to 225, inclusive, together. In February 2006 as part of its reform of the Health Sector, the Government decided to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive to my Department. The functions to be transferred include the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme as well as certain other functions. The SWA scheme is currently...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are various schemes within the social welfare system to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. The six weeks payment after death ensures that the household income is maintained for six weeks following the death of a social welfare recipient or a person in respect of whom carer's allowance or carer's benefit was in payment. In addition to the six weeks after death...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (7 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: As part of improvements announced in the Budget measures for 2006, I introduced legislation (under the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pension Act 2006) whereby all persons in receipt of State Pension (Transition) who attain the age of 66 transfer automatically to the State Pension (Contributory). In these cases, a once-off payment of an additional days pension is being made in recognition of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966 provided for the repeal of the Workmen's Compensation Acts, with effect from 1 May, 1967. However, employers continued to be liable to pay compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts in respect of accidents which occurred or diseases which were contracted before that date. It was decided however, that increases in the compensation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A Deciding Officer disallowed the jobseeker's allowance claim of the person concerned from the 19 October 2006 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking work. The person concerned appealed this decision. Following an oral hearing an Appeals Officer allowed his jobseeker's claim. The weekly payment of Jobseekers Allowance of €185.80 will shortly issue to the person concerned. He...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A claim for unemployment assistance (since renamed jobseekers allowance) by the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer on the grounds that she was not unemployed. The person appealed this decision and an Appeals Officer made a summary decision disallowing the appeal. Summary decisions may be made where the Appeals Officer is of the opinion that a case is of such a nature that...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person's application for respite care grant was disallowed by a Deciding Officer who, having considered the medical evidence furnished in support of the claim and the views of the Department's Chief Medical Advisor decided that the person concerned was not entitled to a respite care grant. The decision was appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The Appeals Officer, having...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Allowances: Social Welfare Allowances (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A number of measures have been introduced in recent years to remove disincentives to taking up employment and to assist in the transition from welfare to work. These measures include special means disregards and tapered withdrawal of benefits as earnings increase, and employment support schemes such as the back to work programme. In the case of one parent families and others who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The respite care grant is an annual payment for carers. Previously the grant was only available to carers in receipt of carer's allowance or benefit. However, from June 2005, the respite care grant was extended to all carers who are providing full time care and attention to a person who needs such care, regardless of their income. Those persons in receipt of other social welfare payments,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a rent supplement to assist eligible people who are unable to provide for their immediate accommodation needs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Rent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) provides income support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. There are currently 21,971 people in receipt of FIS. In Budget 2007, I have continued the re-focusing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for Carer's Allowance on 2 January 2007. Following investigation her application was refused on 27 February 2007 on the grounds that her means exceed the statutory limit for receipt of this allowance. She was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. Under Social Welfare legislation, decisions...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, Building an Inclusive Society , has been completed and launched 10 years after the first strategic plan to combat poverty, the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS), in 1997, and 5 years after the launch of the revised strategy, Building an Inclusive Society, in 2002. Like the original NAPS, it has a 10-year timescale, 2007 to 2016, which also...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person's application for carer's allowance was disallowed by a Deciding Officer who, having considered the medical evidence furnished in support of the claim and the views of the Department's Chief Medical Advisor decided that the care recipient was not so invalided or disabled as to require full time care and attention as laid down in the carer's allowance legislation. The decision was...

Written Answers — Social Insurance Numbers: Social Insurance Numbers (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Personal Public Service Number (PPS No.) is an individual's unique reference number for dealings with Government Departments and public bodies. My Department is responsible for allocating PPS Numbers for use by people, of any nationality, to access certain public services. A PPS Number does not issue automatically except in the case of children born in Ireland. In all other cases,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: According to the Population and Migration Estimates published by the Central Statistics Office in April 2006 there were 189,600 women in Ireland age 70 and over. Information on the means and sources of income of this group is not generally available. However, it is estimated that, in relation to women of pension age generally, about 88% receive support through the social welfare system in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Carer's allowance is a social assistance payment paid to people who are providing full time care and attention to a person who needs such care. In line with other social assistance schemes, a means test is applied to the carer's allowance so as to ensure that resources are directed to those in greatest need. This means test which has been eased significantly over the years applies to all...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together. 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. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: An application for Family Income Supplement (FIS) was received from the person concerned on 8 October 2006. She was subsequently awarded FIS at a weekly rate of €25. She was notified of her right to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The amount awarded is based on her average weekly earnings since the beginning of the year and other assessable income relative to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 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...