Results 1,801-1,820 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides child income support in a number of ways. The principal support is child benefit, (CB) a universal payment which is neutral vis-À-vis the employment status of the child's parents and does not contribute to poverty traps. In addition to CB, child dependant allowances (CDAs) are paid to social welfare recipients in respect of qualified child dependants. A third...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was in receipt of the maximum rate of one-parent family payment from the introduction of the scheme in 1997, having been previously in receipt of lone parent allowance from September 1995. Customers receiving one-parent family payment can earn up to €146.50 per week without it affecting the rate of payment. In the case of a person in employment, half of his or her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Payment of disability benefit (now called Illness Benefit) to the person concerned was discontinued from 26 April 2006 following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He was advised of this decision and of his right to appeal. The person did not appeal and submitted a final certificate from his own doctor dated 25/4/06,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Statutory Instrument 198 of 1974 provides for payment of child benefit to one parent for the benefit of a child or children, where the mother has priority in determining which of the two parents receives the benefit. This provision was introduced on foot of a recommendation of the first Commission on the Status of Women (1972). This approach has subsequently been supported in a number of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In 2006, in the case of contributory pensions which are not means tested, a person may have a combined household income of up to €51 per week over and above the maximum rate of state pension (contributory), or savings/investments of up to €46,000, and still qualify for fuel allowance. This additional income amount was increased to €51 per week with effect from 1 June 2005. Prior to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Capital owned by an applicant for a social assistance payment is assessed, with a disregard of the first €20,000 of the amount held. Any change to this disregard would have to be considered in the context of the budget. In the case of inheritance, some persons making a will give consideration to the creation of a discretionary trust for people with a disability and this has somewhat...

Leaders' Questions (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy is like a dog with a bone.

Leaders' Questions (1 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: What does the dog do when Deputy Rabbitte appears? Does he run around in circles?

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (26 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The majority of respite care grants are paid to people who are in receipt of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Constant Attendance Allowance or prescribed Relative Allowance. In these cases, the grant is paid automatically without the beneficiaries having to make a specific application for the grant. A total of 26,909 people were paid respite care grant in these cases up to the end of...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (26 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The average time for deciding an application for carer's allowance is currently 9.53 weeks. The average in 2005 was 8.88 weeks, while the average in 2004 was 12.70 weeks. Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on an applicant satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. In determining entitlement to the allowance there are, in certain cases, unavoidable time lags involved in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Oct 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 additional 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. A number of improvements have...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Oct 2006)

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 (26 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for an invalidity pension on 13 June 2006 and was awarded the pension from 15 June 2006. Unfortunately it has now transpired that in this case the pension was originally awarded in error. To qualify for an invalidity pension an applicant must, inter alia, have a total of 260 PRSI contributions paid and 48 PRSI contributions paid or credited in the last tax year...

Order of Business (26 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Labour Party did not speak up for the victims of money lenders.

Order of Business (26 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I will get back to the Deputy on that.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue, for example as part of the household budget scheme, is complex given the wide range of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has introduced various measures over the years to make payments directly to qualified adults. For example, separate payments are made in case of domestic difficulty where a spouse might otherwise have no other form of income. Applicants to State Pension (Transition), (formerly known as Retirement Pension) and State Pension (Contributory), (formerly known as Old Age...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Oct 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. The number of rent supplement recipients and expenditure for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 are shown in the attached tabular statement. Recipients and Expenditure on Rent Supplement for Years 2003 to 2005 Year No....

Written Answers — Child Supports: Child Supports (25 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The main form of state child-care assistance is through the Equal Opportunities Support Programme operated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This programme is organised on a county basis and is specifically designed to assist low-income or otherwise disadvantaged parents moving into the work-force or taking up training or employment opportunities. The supplementary...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 to 238, inclusive, together. It is not possible in the time available to supply the information requested. Accordingly I have asked my officials to respond directly to the Deputy within the next two weeks on the matters raised by her.