Results 3,361-3,380 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There is a comprehensive system of regulation in place through the Financial Regulator, The Pensions Board and the Pensions Ombudsman to deal with the various types of pension arrangements which are available and the different aspects of these products. The Pensions Board itself is at present carrying out a review of its operations to see how it might perform its role more effectively in the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has no role in relation to specifying the duties appropriate to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and it would not be appropriate for me to initiate legislation as suggested. Tax foregone through reliefs provided for pension contributions and investment gains is a very significant investment by the State in the voluntary supplementary pensions system. It is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 376 together. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned was refused the Carer's Allowance on the grounds that full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations is not required in this case. On 27 November 2006 he was notified of the decision, the reason for it and of his right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The arrangements for an appeal are now being made. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A special Christmas Bonus payment was first introduced in December, 1980, for social welfare pensioners and people who depend solely on their social welfare payments for income support. There have been a number of developments in this scheme since its inception, including changes in the level of the bonus payment, the introduction of a minimum payment and the extension of the categories of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 19 September 2006. Qualification for disability allowance depends on an applicant passing a means test and fulfilling certain medical conditions. An applicant must be substantially restricted by reason of a specified injury, be suffering from an injury, disease, illness or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The pensioner referred to in this case is in receipt of the maximum rate of state pension (non contributory) of €192.00 weekly, for a person aged over 80 and is also in receipt of living alone increase of €7.70 weekly. His application for fuel allowance has been forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector of the Department for investigation. The Social Welfare Inspector will be in touch...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Much of the information requested by the Deputy is not available. However, in order to give an indication of the position, such estimates that are available are used in the following together with published statistics. Fees received from occupational pension schemes and providers of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts largely finance the Pensions Board. Details of the expenditure incurred...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Pensions Board is a representative Body, comprising a chairperson and sixteen ordinary members which is appointed by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, under the provisions of the Pensions Act, 1990. It is important that the Pensions Board membership should comprise a diverse range of skills dealing with the different aspects of pensions schemes, while at the same time ensuring...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In order to qualify for the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory) a person must, amongst other qualifying conditions, achieve a yearly average of at least 48 contributions paid or credited on their social insurance record. Reduced pensions are paid to those with yearly averages as low as 10 contributions and arrangements are also in place for the payment of pro-rata pensions to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together. There are ten staff employed in my private office. These include 8 administrative staff, a Press Adviser and a Special Adviser. The 8 administrative staff are all established civil servants, one Higher Executive Officer, 1.5 Executive Officers and 5.5 Clerical Officers. The Higher Executive Officer is on a payscale of €42,180 to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The earnings limits for deserted wives benefit were set in 1992. From 1992 entitlement to benefit at full rate was subject to an earnings limit of £10,000 (approx €12,000) and reduced rates were payable up to an earnings limit £14,000 (approx €17,800) after which there was no entitlement. When the one parent family payment was introduced in 1997, the deserted wives benefit scheme was...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (12 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The results of the 2005 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), which were recently published by the CSO, indicate that about 10% of children under 14 years of age experience consistent poverty. This figure has to be seen against the backdrop of the substantial progress on remaining child poverty delivered by a range of measures across a number of Departments and agencies over...

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: One never knows.

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I begin by thanking Deputies on all sides of the House for their comments on and consideration of this Bill. I am particularly grateful for the kind remarks that were made on aspects of it but I will also take account of criticisms made and questions raised. We will have a further two hours of debate later, on Committee and Report Stages, and I look forward to answering Deputies' more...

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Deputies Penrose, Seán Ryan and Stanton, in whose names are the amendments, for their contribution. I have acknowledged that Deputy Penrose has been a long-time campaigner for the removal of the means test for carers. I squared up to the issue and had a number of sessions with officials, and took much advice. We considered the issue very carefully and, at the end of that process,...

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy did so. He posed a few awkward questions last night. He never gave me an easy one yet. We must work out some details but we have provided €57 million to do this. Most carers are on some form of welfare, whether they are on pensions, lone parent's allowance or other allowances. As the Deputy knows — he brought the matter to my attention — the position previously was that...

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I will swipe it.

Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Deputy Seán Ryan for moving this amendment. Almost every Deputy has made representations to me on this issue and I have taken the opportunity presented by the budget to address it. In case Deputy Seán Ryan is no longer in this House next year, I acknowledge his efforts in pressing the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs to make these amendments. He repeatedly pointed...