Results 201-220 of 265 for speaker:Michael Brennan

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I thank Members for a useful and constructive debate. We will be able to go into matters in more detail on Committee and Report Stages. Senator Terry raised the issue of deferring the State pension and having an enhanced one later. This is part of the pensions review proposal, which is a good idea. I must consider how it will work and how much one will pay actuarially. I will need to do this...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The Senator might table a motion on the matter.

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I would be happy to address the House on the matter. At that stage, I would hope to be in a position to give Senators all the details. I agree with the point made by Senator Henry that child care is crucial to lone-parent reform, which is at the heart of yesterday's document. I hope the Seanad will find time to debate that report. I have asked the Chief Whip if we can have a debate in the...

Seanad: Free Travel Scheme. (22 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I will open with a formal reply but wish to add a personal comment at the end. 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 receive a free travel pass regardless of their age. It is also available to people aged...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I thank Senator Tuffy for raising this matter. My Department administers a wide range of income support schemes and these payments are made to claimants either on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis depending on the nature of the payment. Payments for long-term schemes, including certain illness and disability schemes, are generally made by a book of payable orders which are cashed at post...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The amendment calls on me to lay before the House a report on means testing in the area of carer's allowance. While I cannot accept the amendment on technical grounds, this formula is often used to ensure a debate takes place on an issue. I am always pleased to lay reports before the Seanad whenever requested and to come before the House to discuss issues. While I have no difficulty with the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I appreciate Senator Terry's remarks on PRSI. Extensive discussion was held on this issue, which some felt was informal income and, as such, should not involve either tax or PRSI. I took the opposite view. To ask women in particular not to have a PRSI contribution for a period, however small the income, would store up trouble for the future. Some other Minister may be standing here in 20...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: Deputy Seán Ryan has expressed strong views on this issue in the other House and on Committee Stage. I promised him I would keep it under consideration. It is difficult as the issue goes back to 1992, when an earnings limit was introduced for deserted wife's benefit. Following from this, the one-parent family payment, or the lone parent allowance as it is now called, was introduced in 1997....

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: If I had one wish for my time in this Department it would be for child poverty to disappear. There are many other priorities but that would be the one I would pick. In 21st century Ireland it is totally unacceptable that any child should live in poverty and a decent country like ours should not tolerate it a day longer. I feel strongly about it because the brashness of these days gives one to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: Yes. A four-child family on €20,000 gross income could receive €2,000 in child care, €8,000 in child benefit, €8,000 in family income supplement and €480 in back to school allowance, comprising a total social welfare package of approximately €18,000 and giving a total income of €38,000. Very little taxation would be involved due to the low income. Taking the example of an...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The Senators are correct, child benefit is paid to the mother. The new child care allowance is not a vouched payment so, in theory, a family could choose to spend the child benefit and the new child care allowance of €1,000 on something other than the child. There is no legal mechanism to address this but research indicates child benefit is used for family purposes in the broadest sense. In...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: This has been dealt with in an earlier amendment. It is better to care for people in their homes and this is the preferred option and the policy of the Minister for Health and Children with regard to home care and the income supports for carers from my Department. We seek to make it financially attractive to care for people at home. In the recent budget the carer's allowance was increased to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I will review the carer's allowance form, if the Senator is referring to that. We continually review forms to improve them but basic information is necessary. The Department makes more than 1 million payments per week and there is hardly a household in the country that does not receive a payment from it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The section refers to pre-retirement allowances. This was the only section to which Senator Terry's colleagues in the Dáil seriously objected but in the end we reached a meeting of minds. The pre-retirement allowance was introduced in 1990 for older long-term recipients of unemployment assistance, those who had effectively retired from seeking employment and, by extension, the labour force....

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I am glad that document is published and I thank the lone parents' associations and organisations whose representatives I met recently. I also pay tribute to the officials and working groups who put so much work into that document. Yesterday the Seanad Office asked me when I might be in a position to debate that matter in the House. I understand the debate is provisionally set for immediately...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: This is an area that needs considerable attention and reform. The document on lone parenthood which we recently published deals with this issue because I wanted to make sure that the maintenance issue was included. The applicants for a one-parent family payment are required to make ongoing efforts to seek adequate maintenance from their former spouses or, in the case of unmarried applicants,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The NESC, with which I held a recent meeting, has examined the issue of a second tier payment for some time and its work is ongoing. It is one response to child poverty but, as was stated earlier, it is not the only response. I am determined to press ahead and complete this work with the NESC and see if the second tier payment can be introduced. The child care package introduced this year has...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: We are still examining the implications of the court case and are receiving advice on it from the Office of the Attorney General. I recall that 173 people signed up for that case. A determination has been made in the case of one of these people. In that instance, the Department lost the case and is, therefore, required to make repayment to the individual in question. I understand the court...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: The term "jobseekers" is part of the new names we are applying to unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit. The names have been changed to take a more modern approach and to align them with what is happening in Northern Ireland, where the word "unemployment" is no longer in use and has been replaced by the term "jobseekers". Some people might consider it a bit gimmicky, which is not...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael Brennan: I know of Senator Terry's deep interest in the pensions area. She has made a fine contribution to the House in this area, certainly in my time here. The Pensions Board report which was published recently has been laid before the House but I do not know if we have debated it. If not, I would be in favour of doing so and I will ask the Leader if we can find time for that. I have made the same...