Results 3,481-3,500 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Earlier this year, I welcomed the publication by the Combat Poverty Agency of its report "The Distributional Impact of Ireland's Indirect Tax System" and the associated policy statement "Promoting Equity in Ireland's Tax System". The report addressed whether and to what extent the Irish system of indirect taxation, namely VAT and excise duties, is regressive. The report outlines that over the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 Dec 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 2007, the continued...

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 with the inclusion of several commitments in the Programme for Government aimed specifically at the group. I am very pleased to say that we have delivered on the commitment to increase the state pension to €200 per week by 2007. In addition, the State pension (contributory) has been increased by €16 per...

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

Séamus Brennan: I have examined "Caring Before Their Time? Research and Policy Perspectives on Young Carers" by Barnardos and The Children's Research Centre, which was published in September 2004. I was particularly struck by the fact that, of the estimated 3,000 young carers who are providing some care, there are over 300 carers between the ages of 15 and 17 years of age who are providing full-time care. It...

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

Séamus Brennan: Two important pieces of work have recently been completed regarding different types of partner relationships and how they should be treated and recognised in Irish society. The first report an "Options Paper, presented by the Working Group on Domestic Partnership" to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, focuses on different types of cohabiting relationships, both...

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

Séamus Brennan: There were 148,529 people on the Live Register at end-November 2006, which comprised 88,583 males and 59, 946 females. There were 56,343 claiming Jobseekers Benefit, 82,713 claiming Jobseekers Allowance and other registrants amounting to 9,473. This is the lowest November Live Register since November 2001, when it was 147,100. The Live Register stood at 150,073 at end-November 2005, so it...

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

Séamus Brennan: The administration of the Family and Community Services Resource Centre (FRC) Programme is one of the key functions of the Family Support Agency. The FRC programme provides financial assistance to projects to assist with the staffing and equipping of local resource centres which provide a focal point for community development activities. The emphasis in the projects is on the involvement of...

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

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2007 delivered the largest increase in social welfare spending in the history of the State with a package of over €1.4 billion. The total social welfare spending in 2007 will exceed €15.3 billion and this funding will directly support and benefit one and a half million people. In its pre-Budget submission, the Disability Federation of Ireland made two recommendations; firstly that...

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

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 290 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme which includes rent and mortgage interest supplements is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The Executive has advised that while it has received a mortgage interest application from the person concerned it has requested...

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

Séamus Brennan: Payment of disability benefit (now known as illness benefit) to the person concerned was discontinued from 28 August 2006 following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department on 15 August 2006 who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. The person appealed this decision and in that context he was examined by another Medical Assessor on 5 October 2006 who also expressed...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person to whom the Deputy refers submitted an application for Respite Care Grant which was received in the Department on 27 November 2006. This application was treated as an application for the 2005 Respite Care Grant. A decision not to award the Respite Care Grant in this case was made by a Deciding Officer on 30th November 2006. Amongst the documentary information relied upon by the...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Normal inter-departmental procedures were followed in the course of preparation of the Act in question prior to the decision of Government. The consideration of relevant issues raised in that context would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health and Children. With regard to the income support arrangements for people with disabilities, the improvements made to the Disability...

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

Séamus Brennan: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide income support for employees on low earnings with children and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other Social Welfare payments. My Department received an application for Family Income Supplement from the person concerned...

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

Séamus Brennan: My colleague the Minister for Health and Children and I established the Working Group on Long Term Care in January 2005. The group is chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach and comprises senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and my own Department. The objective of this Group was to identify the basic policy options for a financially sustainable system of...

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

Séamus Brennan: Death benefit is payable under the Occupational Injuries Scheme. If a person dies as a result of an accident at work or an occupational disease their dependants may receive death benefit payments. Their dependants may also get death benefit if the person at the time of their death, had been getting disablement pension assessed at 50% or more regardless of the cause of death. There are no...

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

Séamus Brennan: My Department, through the Family Support Agency, has responsibility for a number of initiatives to support families and help prevent relationship breakdown. The Scheme of Grants for Voluntary Organisations providing Marriage, Child and Bereavement Counselling Services is a non-statutory scheme of once-off grants to voluntary organisations providing a range of family counselling services...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Bereavement Grant is a once off payment designed to assist families in dealing with funeral expenses on the death of an insured person. The recent Budget saw an increase in the payment to EUR 850, with effect from 6 December 2006. It is paid by cheque to the spouse, partner, next of kin or personal representative of the deceased or to the person responsible for the payment of the funeral...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Christmas Bonus is paid to all recipients of long-term social welfare payments. The payment was made at the beginning of this month, at an estimated €157 million this year and benefited some 1.25 million persons comprising 855,000 recipients and 394,000 dependants. The focus of the bonus has always been on persons who rely on the social welfare system for financial support over the long...

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

Séamus Brennan: The Christmas Bonus has again been paid this year to all recipients of long-term social welfare payments, at a rate equivalent to 100% of the person's normal weekly payment, subject to a minimum payment of €30. This measure costs an estimated €157 million this year and benefited some 1.25 million persons comprising 855,000 recipients and 394,000 dependants. The focus of the bonus has...

Written Answers — Occupational Injury Scheme: Occupational Injury Scheme (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 287 together. Pneumoconiosis is a prescribed disease for the purpose of the Occupational Injuries scheme administered by my Department. The legislation governing the Occupational Injuries Scheme provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has...