Results 1,321-1,340 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 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. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full....

Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Séamus Brennan: A different concept.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1144 and 1191 together. 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 order to qualify for the payment the person being cared for must need continuous supervision and frequent help throughout the day with their personal needs such as dressing, eating and...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1145 and 1156 together. The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Programme of Decentralisation, 220 posts in my Department are to be relocated to Carrick-on-Shannon. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is charged with securing accommodation in Carrick-on- Shannon for this Department under the decentralisation programme. Following an examination of the availability of accommodation in Carrick-on-Shannon, it was decided that a building under...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: If a recipient of a social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payment has exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition which he/she is unable to meet out of household income, it is open to him/her to apply to the local community welfare officer for a special heating supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. In addition, legislation...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1148, 1185 and 1186 together. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 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 — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are currently no staff in my Department and its Agencies who are earning the national minimum wage, or earning not more than €1 per hour more than the minimum wage. There are currently no staff in my Department and its Agencies who are earning the sub-minimum wage, as defined by Sections 15 and 16 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. Service contractors to my Department, under...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Any person who is receiving a Social Welfare or Health Service Executive payment who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition, and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The amount of diet supplement payable in individual cases is calculated to ensure that a...

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (31 Jan 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Service Executive. The scheme 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. Under existing legislation the Health Service Executive may refuse, suspend or terminate...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 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. The Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of her full entitlement to rent supplement for a person of her family composition and financial circumstances. If the person concerned is not satisfied with...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance 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 social...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Since taking Office this Government has made the needs of older people a priority and the commitment to ensure that as many people as possible can qualify for contributory pensions is at the core of this policy. In this context, changes have been made to the qualifying conditions for pensions which make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. These include the reduction in the yearly...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for Jobseeker's Allowance on 25 September 2006 and was requested to submit (a) proof of identity, (b) proof of address, (c) a letter of fitness from her doctor and (d) evidence that she was genuinely seeking work. A final request for these items issued on 4 October 2006 advising that failure to supply the details requested would result in her claim being closed....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1159 and 1171 together. In February 2006 the Government decided to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department and also decided to consider transferring certain other functions from my Department to the HSE. This decision included transferring income support and maintenance schemes (including the supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The regulations to which the Deputy refers concern rent allowance. The rent allowance scheme provides a rent subsidy in cases where the tenant's income is at or slightly above social welfare pension rates and where the rent charged for the property being rented was formerly controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts. The Rent Allowance scheme currently has 249 recipients of whom 65 are...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance 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 a person who is in receipt of illness benefit must, inter alia, be in...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (31 Jan 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for State Pension Transition (formally called retirement pension) in March 2006. A yearly average of at least 48 contributions per year is required to qualify for the maximum rate State Pension Transition (currently €209.30 per week). According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a yearly average of 37 contributions per year over the 49...