Results 3,901-3,920 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: As I hate to disappoint the Deputy, I will respond in the manner he expects. Under the current statutory provisions governing the award of credit contributions, recipients of the carer's allowance may be awarded credits if they switch to that payment from another credit bearing payment such as jobseeker's allowance. From April 1999 formal provision has been made for the award of credits to...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Yes.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The habitual residence condition was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes, including child benefit, with effect from 1 May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the labour market to workers from the ten new EU member states without the transitional limitations imposed by most other existing member states. The effect...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: We will still be in government.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I am happy to commit the Department to prepare some statement for the House within six months providing up-to-date information on this issue. I take Deputy Stanton's point. However, I am satisfied there is adequate provision to prevent any instance of hardship. Children who arrive here are dealt with either through direct provision or, alternatively, are in receipt of child benefit or...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There is always next Sunday.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: There are no figures available for the total numbers who left the general public service as a result of the marriage bar. According to the Department of Finance 1,240 marriage gratuities were paid between 1962 and 1973. There is no information on periods before that so the total affected across the whole public service is multiples of that figure. The National Women's Council has announced...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: They may be back in pensions.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Some 59,000 households are in receipt of rent supplement. In July 2004 the Government introduced the new rental assistance arrangements. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has indicated that, at the end of January, over 3,000 tenants had been accommodated under the RAS and a further 2,300 persons in social housing. When implemented fully, the RAS will enable...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: It is expected that the €24 million allocated for this year will be spent fully. Steps are being taken by both Departments, local authorities and community welfare services to ensure this. The funds being transferred are and will be used to roll out the RAS. The scheme is not rent supplement by another name because it provides more permanent, negotiated accommodation, including long-term...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy knows, I have long held the view that implementing a targeted second-tier payment for children of families on low incomes is the best effective method of tackling child poverty. The NESC has been examining this concept and indicated that, as proposed, a second-tier income represents a new approach to targeting. The issues involved are complex and technical and a substantial...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Department of the Taoiseach requested the NESC to prepare that work and it goes back three or four years. I referred in my reply to an additional year of work under Towards 2016 but I am satisfied that an additional €60 million went towards a child benefit form of payment, the child dependant allowance, the first time that happened since 1994. The House asked for that and it will have...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: We can certainly look at that. I committed myself to that last year but as we left it too late, I said we would look at it this year. I will commit the Department to examining that. I remember thinking at the time that an extra two weeks would be about right, instead of going all the way to Christmas.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I will ask the Department to take account of that.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Government's discussion paper proposals for supporting lone parents includes proposals in this regard and I thank all those involved in working on this reforming document. It proposes the abolition of the cohabitation rule as a condition for receipt of a new social assistance payment and proposes to replace the lone parent's allowance with a new social assistance payment aimed at...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I acknowledge the Deputy's consistency on this matter over a long period. The report with which he is familiar recommends that policy relating to young carers should be a matter for the Department of Health and Children and that services should be delivered by the Health Service Executive. The Deputy has spoken up for this group. It has not been easy to develop strategy in this area...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Therefore, they need support and assistance to return to their proper role if it is possible for them to do so. I note the Deputy's determination.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 24: In page 28, line 38, to delete "Table" and substitute "Table 1". This amendment provides for the correction of an error made in the printing of the Bill and ensures the appropriate reference in Part 3 of Schedule 3 is that the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act refers to "Table 1" as opposed to "Table".

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In the past many company pension plans only catered for full-time employees. However, following the introduction of The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001, this is generally no longer the case. Employers must now provide pro-rata benefits for part-time employees who work at least 20% of the time worked by a comparable full-time employee, unless there are special circumstances...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Mar 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In February 2006 as part of its reform of the Health Sector, the Government decided to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive to my Department. Administration of the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, as well as certain other functions, will be transferred to my Department. The SWA scheme is currently administered by some 700 Community Welfare Officers...