Results 321-340 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Subsection (9) referred to by Senator McDowell has been very carefully crafted after extensive discussions with trade unions. Every word was carefully negotiated through a number of long nights. I am satisfied it is balanced in guaranteeing that staff will not be brought to any less beneficial conditions of service or remuneration, including conditions in regard to tenure of office, than...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I fully acknowledge, as always, the rights and duties of Senators in pointing out what they regard as flaws in legislation. I wish to state, in the strongest possible terms, that there is no flaw in section 12(12). Senator Browne's amendment No. 43 is not necessary. Section 12(12) was added to the Bill on Report Stage in the Dáil to address concerns that the legislation should explicitly...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I meant to come back to that. Section 12(9) includes a guarantee that a person cannot "be brought to less beneficial conditions of service" or employment, "save in accordance with a collective agreement negotiated with any recognised trade union". Section 12(11) provides for negotiations for a period "of not more than 6 months from the passing of this Act". The best way to explain it is to...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I promised the Senator I would check that matter and I will furnish the House the information before me. First, everyone who is a member of staff of Aer Rianta, before the Dublin appointed day, and continues as a member of staff of the Dublin Airport authority, is covered by section 12(12). Second, everyone who is working mainly in connection with Cork and Shannon Airports and who transfers...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: As the Senator knows, the regulator must take a whole range of issues into account. I see what he is trying to add here, but it is not necessary in the sense that, as a matter of course, the commission and the regulator would take appropriate international standards into account. I am satisfied the section is widely drafted and encompasses the consideration of appropriate international...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The European Commission has been working on an amending directive which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers of Transport in the near future. The new directive will amend the existing Council Directive 96/67/EC on which the 1998 regulations are based. When the amending directive is adopted by the Council, further regulation will be needed to transpose its provisions into Irish law....

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Regarding the borrowing level, the figure of €20 million was deemed appropriate by the Minister for Finance, myself and the Government in our discussions on the draft legislation. I confirm that it can be amended by order under section 36 of the 1998 Act. That figure can, therefore, be changed with the consent of the Minister and the authority could, if appropriate, request that it wants...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (14 Jul 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Seanad for taking the Bill this week. As I said last night, I was wrong to suggest last week that we should deal with it then. Given the number of contributions made, it would have been wrong to rush it through last week. It was a good idea to take the extra time this week to deal with it. I am glad wiser people decided the Seanad should meet to debate the Bill properly. I have...

Carers Support Services: Motion. (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: commends the Government on its record in providing supports to carers, in particular for the very significant increase in the number of carers entitled to a carer's allowance, which has increased by 142% since this Government came into office and now stands at 22,300; the fact that expenditure has...

Carers Support Services: Motion. (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Deputy Penrose for his chairmanship of the joint committee and his work in this area. I assure Deputies that I have listened carefully to and taken note of the arguments and points made this evening. I would like to make some personal remarks before I deal with the motion before the House. I wish to outline my approach and philosophy to delivering a welfare and social services support...

Carers Support Services: Motion. (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Three. They are Deputies O'Connor, Carty and Parlon.

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Under the existing free travel scheme, pass holders who reside in the Republic of Ireland can travel free within the South. Similarly, people who live in Northern Ireland who hold a concessionary travel pass can travel free within the North. Under the special cross-Border arrangements, in place since 1995, both southern and northern pass holders can undertake cross-Border journeys free of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs and who do not have accommodation available from any other source. Section...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: One of the information channels used in delivering on the Department's information policy is the website, www.welfare.ie., which was first established in 1996. It contains information on all our schemes and services including publications, leaflets and booklets. Application forms are available for downloading and on-line services are available to customers notifying loss of employment,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The impact of the measures introduced in the rent supplement scheme was fully assessed and the manner of their implementation was carefully designed to ensure that the interests of vulnerable groups such as the homeless, the elderly and disabled were fully protected. It is not possible to quantify precisely the numbers affected by the measures. However, 27,229 applications for rent supplement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: In 1997 the one-parent family payment was introduced to replace a number of schemes which catered for different categories of lone parent. These schemes included lone parents allowance, deserted wife's benefit and the non-contributory widow and widower's pension for those with dependent children. The scheme is based on the contingency of lone parenthood and the need for social welfare support...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Prior to reaching age 66, the person concerned was a qualified adult on her husband's old age non-contributory pension. She applied for an old age non-contributory pension in her own right in August 2004. Following assessment of her means she was awarded this pension at the maximum personal rate of €154 per week with effect from Friday, 1 October 2004, the first payment date following her...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for unemployment assistance a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 27 June 2003 to 28 September 2004. Following a review, a deciding officer disallowed the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned from 29 September 2004 on the grounds that he is not genuinely seeking...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The national disability strategy announced on 21 September last is designed to underpin the participation of people with disabilities in society. My Department will play an important role in that strategy through the enactment of the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill 2004 and through the Department's sectoral plan under the Disability Bill 2004. The primary purpose of the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Oct 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 377 together. The details of the number of farmers who applied for farm assist since 2001 are as follows: Number 2001 1,473 2002 1,716 2003 1,765 2004 1,264 Statistics on the number of applicants who qualified for a payment are not immediately available. However, I will arrange for this information to be communicated to the Deputies as...