Results 3,181-3,200 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Energy Costs: Energy Costs (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 112, 122, 125, 134, 147 and 396 together. My Department provides supports to people on certain payments to meet their energy costs through the household benefits package and the national fuel scheme. Some 340,000 pensioner and other households qualify for electricity or gas allowances through the household benefits package, payable towards their heating,...

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 118 together. On October 23 last, I held a Pre-Budget Forum which was attended by 30 representative organisations which included various community and voluntary groups. Each of the organisations had the opportunity to present their key priorities for consideration in advance of Budget 2007. I would like to thank all those who participated for their...

Written Answers — Poverty Levels: Poverty Levels (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The ESRI's proposed revision of the original set of indicators used to measure consistent poverty, to take account of the rapid economic progress of recent years and of current living standards, is detailed in its report Reconfiguring the Measurementof Deprivation and Consistent Poverty in Ireland. The report, which I launched last April, is an important source in developing the new National...

Written Answers — National Strategy for Carers: National Strategy for Carers (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: 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 respite care grant have been introduced and extended....

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: According to the latest estimates from the Central Statistics Office there were 29,600 people long-term unemployed in the third quarter of 2006. This represents a long term unemployment rate of 1.4%. The long term unemployment rate fell from 5.5% in September-November 1997 to 1.4% in June-August 2000 and has remained in the range 1.2% to 1.6% since that time. These estimates are based on...

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I have recently received the Pre-Budget submission from One Family, and also had a presentation at the recent Pre-Budget Forum. Of the ten areas of concern, entitled "steps to equality for all families" which are set out in the submission, a number, including the issues of adequate incomes for one-parent families, adequate supports for employment and the issue of poverty traps deterring a...

Written Answers — Waste Management Charges: Waste Management Charges (14 Nov 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 is complex given the wide range of charging regimes and cost structures that exist in respect...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 119 and 140 together. The Value for Money examination undertaken by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) looked at the rent supplement scheme during the period 2000 to 2005. One of the main issues raised by the C&AG relates to the substantial increase in expenditure on rent supplement over the period of review. As the report notes, it increased...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has no function in providing supports specifically in the case of families with an out of control child. Personal Social Services and Child Welfare are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. The main function of my Department is the provision of income support payments including social insurance payments funded by the Social Insurance Fund,...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 406 together. The back to work allowance scheme assists the long term unemployed to return to the active labour force. There are two strands to the scheme, the back to work enterprise allowance for self employed and the back to work allowance for employees. Numbers availing of the back to work allowance scheme have fallen steadily in recent years due...

Written Answers — Migrant Issues: Migrant Issues (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social welfare payments with effect from 1st May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the new EU Member States without the transitional limitations which were being imposed at that time by many of the other...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Pensions Board in its report on the National Pensions Review, published in January 2006, suggested, amongst other things, a continuation of the existing system of voluntary supplementary pensions provision with improved incentives for participation. However, no truly voluntary pensions system has delivered the level of coverage rates for which we are aiming, and if we are to achieve our...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 390 together. The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is and 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 respite care grant have been introduced and...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Although not offering parenting courses directly, my Department does provide support, via the Family Services Project and the Family Support Agency, to a range of groups and organisations that are involved in the provision of supports and information to parents. Specifically, the Employment Supports Service in my Department has developed the Family Services Project since its establishment in...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare system is designed to provide a replacement income in the event of a particular contingency arising. The contingencies include lone parenthood, child support, maternity and adoption. The payments involved, while not targeted specifically at fathers of recently born children, could be claimed by them in certain circumstances. In addition, where a man is in receipt of a...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The provision of quality research into key family issues is one of the main priorities for the Family Support Agency and indeed the Agency is committed to continuing the innovative work contained in the first phase of the Families Research Programme, which ran from 1999 to 2004. In June this year, as a precursor to a call for research into selected family themes, I launched a thematic review...

Written Answers — Payment Delivery Services: Payment Delivery Services (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Following the Government decision in 1999 to extend the An Post contract for the delivery of social welfare payments for a further 3 years a complaint was lodged with the European Commission under the Procurement Services Directive. The Advocate-General to the European Court of Justice gave an opinion on the case on 14th September 2006 and concurred with the European Commission's view that...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 130, 132 and 139 together. Since 1994, successive Governments have followed the policy of holding the rate of qualified child increases constant while concentrating additional resources for child income support on the child benefit scheme. Child benefit is neutral vis-À-vis the employment status of the child's parents and does not contribute to poverty...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The National Action Plan against poverty and social exclusion details actions across several Government Departments to co-ordinate action across a range of Government services, including income support. The most recent reforms aimed at tackling child poverty include the following: payment of the new €1,000 a year early childcare supplement for all children under 6 years; increases in social...