Results 1,921-1,940 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 199 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The 'at risk of poverty' indicator identifies persons or households who fall below the relative income threshold, which in the EU has been set at 60 per cent of median income. Results from the first two years of the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU–SILC) show that there has been a slight decrease in the percentage of persons classified as 'at risk of poverty' from 19.7 per cent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 186 together. I am aware of the presentation the Post Polio Support Group made to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs on the 3rd of October and I have considered the issues raised. The group is concerned that their members be able to engage in employment and lead independent lives. The group considers that the free travel scheme...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department's free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of other allowances. It is also available to certain people with disabilities and people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. All remaining time based restrictions have been removed from the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day to day work of my Department. In this regard all staff engaged in claims processing are concerned with preventing and detecting fraud and abuse. Systematic risk analysis is a key element of the Department's control strategy. This entails the identification, by scheme managers, of areas of high...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I appreciate the work undertaken by the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul and others on behalf of the most vulnerable members of Irish society and it is, of course, a matter of concern that the level of demand for the Society's services appears to be increasing. This Government remains committed to greatly improving the standard of living of welfare dependent and low-income households and to...

Written Answers — Departmental Research: Departmental Research (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The National Economic and Social Council was asked to examine the feasibility of merging the family income supplement and child dependant allowance into a second tier child income support. Such a payment would be aimed specifically at targeting child poverty by channelling resources to low-income families without creating significant disincentives to employment. NESC has indicated that, as...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department's free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of other allowances. It is also available to certain people with disabilities and people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. All remaining time-based restrictions have been removed from the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The report to which the Deputy refers was produced by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) in accordance with legislative requirements. It contains details of the activities of the office in 2005, as well as commentary on other issues which arose during the year. As previously stated by me on 10 August 2006, the SWAO has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that welfare customers have...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (10 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. The scheme is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Child Benefit can be paid in respect of every child under the age of 16 years, who is ordinarily resident in the state. Payment can be extended to the 19th birthday if the child is in education or disabled and incapable of self support. The benefit is paid to the qualified person with whom the child resides and, since May 2004, the person making the claim for Child Benefit must satisfy the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 416 together. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) and the rent supplement scheme are administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 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 Executive has confirmed that it has received an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. However, a delay in making a decision arose as the Executive were awaiting further information from the person...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I was very glad to recently launch the 2005 Annual Report of the Combat Poverty Agency. In addition to outlining the work of the agency, the report includes a commentary on translating strategy into action. The need for a strategic whole of Government approach reflects the complex nature of poverty, which is multifaceted in its causes and effects and, as a consequence, requires a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together. The Construction Federation Operatives Pensions Scheme (CFOPS) operates as a Registered Employment Agreement under the Industrial Relations Acts. There is a statutory obligation on employers to register eligible employees in the scheme and to pay the necessary contributions. In 2005 Mercer Human Resource Consulting carried out a review of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The application for a Respite Care Grant from the person to whom the Deputy refers was received in my Department on 15th September 2006. It is currently being processed and a decision on the application will be made shortly with the person notified of the decision as soon as possible thereafter.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 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 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 accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A decision not to award the Respite Care Grant in this case was made by a Deciding Officer. The medical assessor on examination of the medical evidence submitted with the application was of the view that the person being cared for was not so incapacitated as to require full time care and attention. The person appealed the decision of the Deciding Officer to the Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme including rent and mortgage interest supplements is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The Executive has advised that, following a routine review of the basic supplementary welfare allowance claim of the person concerned, it has suspended payment pending verification of the means...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Oct 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 3 July 2006. When she made her claim she was asked to submit details of her redundancy payments. She was again requested to forward this information on 31 August 2006 and on the 8 September 2006. When the information was not received, her claim was closed and she was notified accordingly. The person concerned made a further claim on...