Results 1,681-1,700 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) may make a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These payments are a vital component of the SWA scheme. Those who qualify are normally in receipt of a social welfare or HSE payment....

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Regulations provide that where no employment contributions have been paid or credited in respect of an insured person for any two complete consecutive social insurance contribution years, an employment contribution shall not be credited to such person unless, since the end of the second of the said contribution years, twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of such...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Information: Social Welfare Information (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The objective of my Department's information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their rights and entitlements and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur. The provision of information in a clear and accessible manner is an essential element in achieving this objective. My Department takes a pro-active approach in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Operation Gull is a joint control exercise undertaken periodically at Airports and Ports in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain and the operations involve personnel from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and the United Kingdom Immigration Service. My Department, through its assignment of Social Welfare Inspectors to the GNIB, participates in these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The 2007 estimates for social welfare spending will be published on Thursday next and will represent the cost of implementing existing levels of services in the various programmes and services provided by my Department and its agencies. Normally, improvements in social welfare schemes and services are introduced by way of the Budget. In this regard, I will be developing Budget proposals in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A person in receipt of a social welfare payment is entitled to claim an increase in respect of an adult or child dependant. Usually any such increase is paid as a single payment with the personal rate to claimant. However a spouse or partner can seek to have a portion of the payment paid direct to him/her. This usually arises in circumstances where there are domestic difficulties. When an...

Written Answers — Social Inclusion: Social Inclusion (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In line with a commitment in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016, a new National Action Plan for Inclusion is currently being prepared by the Office for Social Inclusion in my Department. The Plan is expected to be launched early in the New Year and is being prepared in tandem with and will complement the forthcoming National Development Plan 2007-2013, which will contain a specific...

Written Answers — Migrant Issues: Migrant Issues (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I am aware of the report by the International Organisation for Migration for the National Economic and Social Council of Ireland. The conclusions of the report refer to a number of studies which have found that on average migrants tend to pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits over their lifetime. One example to support this statement is a study undertaken in the United Kingdom,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 162 and 375 together. In the case referred to by the Deputy, a claim was made for a Qualified Adult Allowance (QAA) on an Invalidity Pension in respect of the claimant's partner. The application for a QAA was refused as social welfare legislation does not provide for the payment of the QAA to same-sex partners. The decision to disallow payment of the QAA was...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2006 provided for an increase of €5 in the weekly rate of fuel allowance. At the time, my Department provided details of this by way of a press release outlining all of the Budget improvements in social welfare payments. As the fuel allowance is paid on a seasonal basis, from end of September to mid April of the following year, the most recent release was aimed at reminding the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004, a woman may be entitled to statutory minimum maternity leave of 22 weeks. Membership of an occupational pension scheme must continue while she is on statutory maternity leave. A member of a defined benefit scheme will continue to accrue pensionable service during the period of this statutory leave. If the employer pays the woman during the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I have examined "Caring Before Their Time? Research and Policy Perspectives on Young Carers" by Barnardos and The Children's Research Centre, which was published in September 2004. I was particularly struck by the fact that of the estimated 3,000 young carers who are providing some care, there are over 300 carers between the ages of 15 and 17 years of age who are providing full-time care. It...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a number of illness and disability payments including illness benefit, invalidity pension and disability allowance. In the first instance, entitlement to these payments is subject to the applicant satisfying the medical criteria which apply and which are prescribed in legislation. In addition, certain PRSI contribution conditions must be met in the case of illness...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Farm assist is a means-tested scheme providing weekly income support to low-income farmers. For the purpose of determining the rate of farm assist payable, deductions are allowed from net income in respect of qualified children, with the balance assessed at 70%. In this regard, the means test is more favourable than the scheme's predecessor, the unemployment assistance scheme for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 391 together. Establishing a cost associated with aligning maternity benefit to the minimum wage would depend on the parameters used. It is estimated, on the basis of a rate of €298.65 per week for all maternity benefit claimants, that it would cost an estimated €38 million. This assumes a 39-hour week at the existing minimum hourly rate of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Decentralisation Programme 220 posts in my Department are to be decentralised to Carrick-on-Shannon. According to figures received from the Central Application Facility (CAF), through which all applications for decentralisation locations must be submitted, 273 applicants applied for Carrick-on-Shannon before the priority applicant date of 7 September 2004. Since this date, there...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 419 together. The review of the operation of the habitual residence condition was completed by my Department in July this year and, following consultation with other relevant Departments, is being brought to the attention of the Government in the near future and following Government approval, it is expected to be published. Deciding officers in my...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377, 404 and 405 together. The legislation governing the Occupational Injuries Scheme provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has contracted that disease in the course of their employment. Where a person has contracted one of the diseases listed in the...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 378, 379 and 401 together. Since the introduction of the habitual residence condition in May 2004, some 14,600 claims to child benefit have been decided following a detailed examination of the habitual residence aspect. Of these only 10% were refused, while in 90% of the cases the condition was found to be satisfied. The EU Regulations provide that migrant...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Over 110,000 people receive an SWA payment each week. Net expenditure on the scheme in 2005 was €654.6m, including administration costs of €47m. Some €708.6m has been provided for the scheme in 2006 including provision for administration costs of €51.4m. A breakdown for each of the various components is shown in the following tabular statement. These expenditure data exclude the cost...