Results 3,141-3,160 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Access to transport is an important issue for people with disabilities in participating more fully in society in general as well as facilitating access to employment opportunities. My Department does not provide direct assistance towards private taxi travel but administers the Free Travel scheme allowing eligible persons, including certain people with disabilities, to use public transport and...

Social Welfare Appeals. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare appeals office plays a pivotal role in ensuring welfare customers have an independent review mechanism when they are dissatisfied with a decision made by my Department and want to appeal the outcome. During 2004 some 14,000 appeals were processed, 6,000 by way of oral hearing. The equivalent figures for 2005 were 13,400 and 5,600 respectively. Favourable decisions to...

Social Welfare Appeals. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There were 13,419 appeals in 2005, 47% of which had a favourable outcome for the appellant, that is, they were either fully or partially allowed or resolved by way of a revised decision on the part of a deciding officer. The same figure of 47% also applies to the previous year. A total of 41% of cases going to appeal were disallowed, which was much the same as the previous year. A further...

Social Welfare Appeals. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy is aware, a new system has been in place since 2002. I am sure he has advised constituents about it. Applicants can return to the deciding officer for a review of his or her decision if new information comes up. It is not a question of failing to consider such information. In many cases, this can speed up matters and 25% of them were resolved by way of revised decisions on...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 88 together. The money advice and budgeting service, MABS, provides assistance to people who are overly indebted and need help and advice to cope with debt problems. It is a countrywide service, delivered through 52 independent companies, and in 2006 had a total budget of more than €16 million. The number of clients seeking the assistance of the...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The findings of a major report entitled Do the Poor Pay More?, which was produced some time ago, and other research make it clear that poor people pay more for loans. Apart from banks, the Consumer Credit Act 1995 envisaged moneylenders as a sector. Under the Act, a person must charge a minimum of 23% to be considered a moneylender, as opposed to a financial institution or bank. The...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Deputy Stanton is aware that we increased the number of units that pensioners could avail of for electricity and gas, beginning in October in the case of gas and January in the case of electricity. This move will protect pensioners against the recent increases in electricity and gas prices and is a positive step. I agree with Deputy Penrose's comments about encouraging people to make greater...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy knows my views on this. I suppose it is relative——

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It could be argued that fewer people should seek assistance from the MABS as the country gets richer but, as expectations increase, that is the reason more people seek assistance from it.

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It relates to credit card bills.

Homeless Persons. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Make Room campaign makes a number of proposals relating to rent supplements which are provided under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The campaign recommends that rent caps, namely the specified limits on the amount of rent that an applicant for rent supplement may incur, be reviewed to reflect the real market cost of renting. The rent limits have, in my view, a very...

Homeless Persons. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I join the Deputy in complimenting the Make Room organisation and its component organisations. I have no difficulty with their objectives and what they want to achieve. We are making good solid progress in that direction generally. On the question of rent caps, I concentrated on the rent supplement scheme because, I suspect, the question is also tabled to other Departments and I chose to...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is designed to provide support for people on low earnings with child dependants and provide the incentive for them to remain in, or take up, employment. Recent improvements to family income supplement include the change of assessment from a gross income basis to net income, the increase to €20 per week in the minimum payment and, in budget 2006, the refocusing of...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is an important scheme. It is targeted as it supports families on low incomes. In answer to the Deputy's question on increasing the supplement, we made strong moves on the family income supplement in almost every budget. We will certainly consider making similar improvements in the coming budget. I am committed to the scheme and hope to continue to improve the...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 413 and 414 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is and has been a priority of the Government. 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 respite care...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I am committed to providing a national carers' strategy, which is one of the commitments into which the Department has entered. We have commenced that work in the Department and are setting about a consultation process with the various organisations concerned with the carers' strategy. The Deputy has raised the issue of young carers with me many times. The reason it does not move forward is...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: They should be at school.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I know, but I have not considered introducing a payment or a support for carers under 18 because I am not yet convinced — if the Deputy can convince me, that will be fine — that it would be of help to them. We should be trying to encourage them to pursue their own careers and deal with the caring issue in another way, if that is possible.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: One might not be doing them any favours by instituting a payment to them, for example.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I know, but one might not be doing them any favours if a carer's allowance was introduced for 16 year olds.