Results 1,301-1,320 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

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

Séamus Brennan: State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means tested payment and all income is assessable as means. This includes cash income, private pensions, foreign pensions, the value of any property (excluding the claimant's own home) and the value of any investments and capital which the claimant may have. A pensioner is obliged to declare all means, and to inform this Department of any change in...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together. It is Government policy to maintain a viable network of post offices throughout the country and my Department has no policy of assisting in the closure of offices. In 2006 approximately 39 million payments were issued to social welfare customers through post offices at a cost of €48 million. My objective is to ensure that a wide...

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

Séamus Brennan: The person's application for carer's allowance was disallowed by a Deciding Officer on the grounds 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 case has been referred to the Social Welfare appeals office and, in accordance with the statutory requirements the relevant departmental...

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

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1st May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the new EU Member States without the transitional limitations which were being imposed at that time by...

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

Séamus Brennan: An Appeals Officer has decided that the person concerned is not entitled to invalidity pension as the statutory contribution conditions for this pension are not fulfilled. The person concerned was informed of this decision by letter dated 30th January, 2007. Under Social Welfare legislation the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be revised: (a) in the light...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. A person may qualify for payment of a back to school clothing and footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Feb 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, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as...

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

Séamus Brennan: For the purpose of assessing a farmer's income for Social Welfare purposes, account is taken of his/her expected annual income i.e. the normal output appropriate to normal stock levels, capacity, and market trends less all normal costs necessarily incurred. However, where exceptional circumstances create a difference between this projected figure and the return for the previous year (e.g. the...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (6 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: During the twelve month period ending 31 December 2006, I undertook four international business trips via commercial airline, to the following destinations — New York, Edinburgh, Boston, and London Heathrow. Each of these were return flights originating from Dublin. I also travelled on a single flight from Cork to Dublin. In addition, I undertook five EU business trips via Government Jet,...

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

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit (CB) is currently paid to one parent with priority given to the mother in determining which parent is entitled to the benefit, although payment may be transferred to the child's father with the mother's consent. Where parents are separated, payment is made to the parent with whom the child resides for the majority of the time. CB is paid to the child's mother in cases of joint...

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

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible tenants in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs. In order to qualify for rent supplement a tenant must satisfy a number of conditions. They...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (6 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department paid EUR 39,812 to the company concerned in 2005 as its contribution to a joint project with FÁS and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and FÁS was the contracting authority. The contract was awarded following a public procurement exercise.

Comhairle (Amendment) Bill 2004: Motion (6 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill 2004 be withdrawn.

Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy wants to let 300 jobs go.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The total number of people availing of a grant towards the cost of a hearing aid for the past 5 years is 26,256 broken down as follows: Year Number 2002 4,401 2003 5,262 2004 5,749 2005 5,332 2006 5,512 The grant was increased by over 8% with effect from 1 May 2006 and currently my Department will pay up to half the cost of a hearing aid or repairs to a hearing aid subject to a fixed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive payments with meeting the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April and are not intended to meet the full cost of heating. Eligibility to the fuel allowance scheme is subject to means...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Family Services Project (FSP) provides funding to programmes run by third parties to assist welfare recipients and members of their families improve their personal and family circumstances through training, educational and development courses. The programmes are generally of a short duration and take place over a number of weeks. A total of 31 Family Services Projects have been funded...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In 2006, I made 32 Statutory Instruments pursuant to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as amended. In addition, 13 Statutory Instruments were also promulgated pursuant to the Pensions Act 1990 as amended. In accordance with requirements under Section 3 of the Statutory Instruments Act, 1947 as amended, all Statutory Instruments have been published in Iris Oifigiúil.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance 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. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 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...