Results 1,761-1,780 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)

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 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 estimated that some 274,000 people...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)

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. Rent...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. The scheme will not of itself qualify a person...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Revised Estimates Volume for 2006 provides for Appropriations-in-Aid of €1.203 billion in respect of health contributions. The latest available forecast suggests that the outturn will be €1.243 billion giving a surplus of €40 million.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under measures introduced to encourage the growth of private pension coverage a worker employed under a contract of service may, subject to certain limits, obtain relief in respect of PRSI in respect of contributions made for pension provision. The maximum pension contribution, in any one year, for which a person is entitled to relief, varies and is related to the person's age and expressed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare system comprises two types of pension; contributory pensions based on social insurance contributions and non-contributory pensions, payment of which are subject to a means test. The maximum contributory pension is paid at a slightly higher rate; however, the main advantage of contributory pensions is that they are paid regardless of any other income a person might have. In...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Decentralisation Programme 120 posts in my Department are to be decentralised to Buncrana. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) established the Central Applications Facility (CAF) through which all applications for decentralising locations must be submitted. According to figures received in my Department from the CAF, the number of first preference applicants for Buncrana is 34....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: People on a qualifying non-contributory pension or other social welfare payment are normally eligible for a fuel allowance without further means test, subject to the other conditions for entitlement. Other applicant households may have a combined income of up to €51.00 above the current maximum weekly contributory old age pension rate, and still qualify for a fuel allowance. Based on this...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: When assessing means for farm assist purposes, account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and property. Capital may include the following: stocks and shares of every description, which are assessed according to their current market value — this includes co-op shares. savings certificates/bonds/national instalment savings, which are assessed...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department does not have any vacant buildings under its ownership or control. All matters relating to property acquisition and disposal are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, which deals with such matters on behalf of my Department.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There are approximately 125,000 people aged over 66 currently in receipt of a living alone allowance with a social welfare pension. Generally speaking, my Department does not have information available on the sources of income or the living arrangements of individual pensioners.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a one-parent family payment at the maximum rate for a person with one qualified child dependant. In addition, she is also receiving the fuel allowance for the duration of the fuel season. My Department accepts that she has an ongoing entitlement to one-parent family payment and fuel allowance. However, the person concerned did not have an...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Staff in my Department who use their cars on official business, purchase fuel in the normal way and they are reimbursed on the basis of travel and subsistence claims submitted by them. Staff are not issued with fuel cards.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide income support for employees on low earnings with children and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other Social Welfare payments. My Department undertook an extensive national media advertising campaign regarding the Family...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together. Where couples are actively engaged in a commercial enterprise as a business partnership, they are treated as individual self-employed contributors and are liable to social insurance contributions accordingly. These contributions enable them to build up an insurance record in their own right and to receive the accruing benefits. This...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 176 together. 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 purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Spouses of an employed or self-employed contributor are specifically excepted from social insurance contributions. This exclusion recognises the practical difficulties in establishing the nature of a genuine employment relationship in circumstances such as when a person employed under a contract of service (i.e. as an employee) by his or her spouse is classed as an "excepted" contributor...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Nov 2006)

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. Under standard SWA rules rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (2 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The primary purpose of the Irish social welfare system is to provide income support for people who, for whatever reason, experience a loss of income or whose existing income is regarded as insufficient. The Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 defines "couple" as meaning "a married couple who are living together or a man and woman who are not married to each other but are cohabiting as...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (2 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family members who work together are generally not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts. Spouses of employed or self-employed contributors are specifically excepted from PRSI liability in respect of their working activity with their spouse. However, there is scope within the provisions of social welfare legislation to enable spouses who are partners in an enterprise, or who work together...