Results 3,501-3,520 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 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 his/her 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (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 to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...

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

Séamus Brennan: Credited contributions, or 'credits' as they are termed, are intended to protect the entitlements, particularly the pension rights, of employees and other persons participating in the social insurance system when they are ill or unemployed. A person who is providing full time care and attention to a person as a carer is awarded credits on the same basis as if they were out of the workforce...

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

Séamus Brennan: In Budget 2007, I have provided for a number of improvements in the fuel allowance scheme. These comprise an increase in the weekly rate of fuel allowance of €4 from €14 to €18 (€21.90 in designated smokeless areas) — a doubling in two years — and an increase in the income threshold for eligibility to fuel allowance by €49 from €51 to €100 above the state pension...

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

Séamus Brennan: Ireland currently has bilateral social security agreements with seven countries: Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. Ireland also entered into a bilateral understanding with Quebec on 1 October 1994. The main purpose of these agreements is to protect the social security pension rights of workers who have worked both in Ireland and the other...

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

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who...

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

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The qualifying period for access to the second level option of the scheme is six months. As the Deputy is aware, I...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (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 4 October 2006. A decision to award the Respite Care Grant for 2006 was made by a Deciding Officer on 27 October 2006. The Respite Care Grant was not awarded in respect of 2005, on the grounds that the person concerned was not so incapacitated as to require full-time...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I am very pleased to introduce this, the first of two Bills intended to implement the largest social welfare package in the history of the State of €1.41 billion announced in last week's budget. This substantial investment brings total expenditure on social welfare in 2007 to €15.3 billion, or €1 for every €3 of Government day-to-day spending. Some 1.5 million people will benefit...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: That is just not the case.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It is really not.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Senators for fine, thoughtful contributions to the Social Welfare Bill and a constructive debate, which I found useful. The Senators offered some good pointers for the future. I will think about Senator Terry's remarks about Clanbrassil Street and although it does not fall within the remit of my Department, I will bring the request to the attention of the relevant Department. I...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It is not possible.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: We are dealing with section 3, which concerns pensions. The contributory State pension cost us €2.4 billion this year. This is up 57% on the previous year's expenditure, which was €1.5 billion, so the cost of paying the State pension is quite significant. The cost of the non-contributory State pension next year will be €810 million. I do not have the figure for tax forgone, but it...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Senator Cox for her remarks. I accept Senator Terry's concerns in respect of this matter. However, I am obliged to face the reality that there are 900,000 people who do not have occupational pensions. Of these, 500,000 are women who work. It behoves all of us to find some way to move these people to a position where they can look forward, when they retire, to income that will be...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Many of the modern schemes, particularly the PRSAs, are finely tuned. If people begin making contributions when they are sufficiently young and in light of tax relief and the purchasing of annuities, there is quite an amount of scope involved. The alternative would be to go completely down the State-funded road and give everyone in the country a State pension. That is a major philosophical...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: A number of them are outside the tax net and some are on the minimum wage.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: If we moved to an SSIA-type of contribution system, it would take account of that argument. Tax relief would not be needed because a matching amount would be paid. That is why the Pensions Board made its relevant recommendation, which has a great deal going for it. The Senator's point is interesting because if a person on €30,000 per year cannot afford a pension, someone on €15,000...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I reassure the Senator on the last point. Employers are not obliged to grant male employees special paternity leave, paid or unpaid, following the birth of a child. Unpaid parental leave is available. Paternity leave for three days at 80% of wages subject to a minimum of €207.80 and a maximum of €280 per week would cost €6 million rising to approximately €10 million for five days'...