Results 3,461-3,480 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Inclusion: Social Inclusion (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: In March 2006, EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers agreed a new framework for the modernisation of Member States' social protection systems and the promotion of greater social cohesion across the European Union. Under this new framework, Member States are required to draw up national reports, covering a three year period, on strategies for social protection and social inclusion which...

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

Séamus Brennan: As I have previously advised the House, the proposed all-Ireland free travel scheme will enable pensioners resident here and in Northern Ireland to travel free of charge on all eligible transport services on the island. Implementation of a single travel pass, acceptable in both jurisdictions, will require the completion of the Integrated Ticketing project being developed under the auspices of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A National Disability Survey, a follow-up to the latest Population Census is currently being conducted by the Central Statistics Office, the results of which will be available next year. This is the first national survey in Ireland specifically designed to capture the prevalence of different types of disability and the extent to which those affected participate in various activities. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Entitlements: Social Welfare Entitlements (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department aims to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their rights and entitlements and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur. The provision of information in a clear and accessible manner is an essential element in the achievement of this objective. My Department takes a pro-active approach in advertising its schemes and...

Written Answers — Family Income Supplement: Family Income Supplement (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 93 together. The Family Income Supplement provides income support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. There are currently 22,352 people in receipt of FIS....

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 106 together. The Construction Federation Operatives Pensions Scheme operates as a Registered Employment Agreement under the Industrial Relations Acts. There is a statutory obligation on employers to register eligible employees in the scheme and to pay the necessary contributions. Compliance with the terms of the scheme is enforced through the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There is a number of social welfare supports available to assist families in coping with bereavement and the associated expenses. The Bereavement Grant is a one off payment paid to families of insured people to assist them with funeral expenses. I was glad to be able to increase the grant from €635 to €850, with effect from Budget day, 6 December 2006. It is paid to the spouse, partner,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Since taking Office this Government has made the needs of older people a priority and the commitment to ensure that as many people as possible can qualify for contributory pensions is at the core of this policy. In this context, changes have been made to the qualifying conditions for pension which make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. These include the reduction in the yearly...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 75, 84, 99 and 111 together. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Reports: Social Welfare Reports (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The TASC publication Taming the Tiger — Social Inclusion in a Globalised Ireland, published last month, has recently been received by officials in my Department and is among the publications currently being examined by them. The various analyses contained in the publication, which consider aspects of the challenge presented by globalisation to social inclusion in Ireland, will form a useful...

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

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2007 introduced a package of measures costing €300 million aimed at alleviating child poverty. By channelling income support in a number of ways, this package of measures is designed to balance the need to provide support universally through child benefit, with targeting those most in need by increasing child dependant allowances, family income supplement, back to school clothing...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Dec 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 — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Child benefit is the principal means of providing support to families with children in Ireland. It is neutral vis-À-vis the employment status of the child's parents and maximises choice for parents. Child benefit is paid monthly in advance to over 561,000 families is respect of over 1,080,000 children. At present there are no plans to move child benefit to a weekly payment. It should be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The financial support for the poorest lone parent families with, say, one child will increase by over €26 per week or 11.8% in 2007. This includes an increase of €20 per week in the basic rate of payment, plus increases in Child Benefit as well as improvements in the rates of qualified child allowance and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. As I have said many times, the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Last September, I established a new pension scheme, the State Pension Non-Contributory, for persons aged 66 and over. As part of this reform, I increased the basic income disregard for the purposes of the means test for non-contributory pensions to €20 per week. At the same time, I introduced incentives for those pensioners who may wish to continue in employment, or return to employment,...

Written Answers — Departmental Vote: Departmental Vote (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is responsible for a number of technology-related projects which are designed to improve the delivery of social welfare services but which also have a wider application and relevance for the delivery of services by other public service agencies in the context of the wider eGovernment programme. In this context and to deal with this work programme as efficiently as possible, a...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Government is determined to substantially reduce child poverty — the evidence of this is in last week's Budget in which I announced a range of measures costing over €240 million to benefit children and families. These measures include combining three rates of Child Dependant Allowance payments into a new single high rate Qualified Child Allowance of €22 per week that will benefit...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 100, 108, 115 and 117 together. The national fuel scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive (HSE) payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the heating season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Family Support Agency has responsibility for the Family Mediation Service, a free, professional and confidential service for couples, married and non-married, who have decided to separate or divorce and who together want to negotiate the terms of their separation or divorce with the help of a trained mediator. Family mediation assists separating couples to look at the resources and...