Results 401-420 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I am pleased to introduce the Social Welfare Bill 2004, the first of two Bills which will implement the social welfare package of €874 million announced in last week's budget. The package represents an increase of €244 million, or almost 40%, on the 2004 package of €630 million. It brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure for 2005 to over €12.25 billion, which...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (15 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Senators for their kind contributions, to which I will respond. In particular, I thank those who took the time to thank the officials and staff of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. I support the comments that were made in that regard. I assure the House, having worked in six or seven Departments, that the officials with whom I am working at present, who are dealing with...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (15 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I take the view that child benefit is directed at families as an income support. Child care is a broader issue. Child benefit may contribute to addressing child care needs but it is not the only answer.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (15 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I know the Senator has done much work in this area. Child care has many aspects. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recently announced that it has substantial funds available to lead a child care programme. The Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children and Finance and I need to work together to ensure there is an integrated child care strategy...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (15 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Following the closure by the Bon Secours Order of "The Grove" hospital in Tuam, the Western Health Board, which is responsible, in the first instance, for the provision of health services in the Tuam area, decided to build a new 50-bed community hospital on the grounds and adjoining land to replace the existing facility. This new hospital will comprise a mix of up to 30 beds for continuing...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Senator for tabling this amendment, whose purpose is primarily to allow debate on the matter. It would not be normal to insert into legislation a requirement to issue a report. I have no difficulty in adhering to the spirit of the amendment requiring me to report to the Houses on the means test for carer's allowance, which I am happy to do. While it does not require an amendment...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I appreciate the intent of the amendment. The household benefits package, which is made up of electricity, gas, telephone and free television licence allowances, is available to people living in the State who are over 66 years of age and who are in receipt of social welfare type-payments or who otherwise pass a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Yes. The free travel scheme is available to people living in the State who are over 66 years irrespective of needs. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 years whose late spouses were in receipt of the household benefits package or free travel retain that entitlement to ensure householders do not suffer loss of entitlement. The allowances outlive the spouse. The schemes exist to support...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: My mother is 80 years old and I know exactly how she likes things to be kept in boxes. I looked at the fuel and living alone allowances. I cannot do everything in a first budget but I will keep things under review. With hundreds of millions of euro allocated to child benefit and increases in pensions and unemployment assistance rates it became a choice whether to put the extra funding into...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I will launch the first major annual report of the Office for Social Inclusion tomorrow morning. The office, which is based in the Department of Social and Family Affairs, was established in 2002. It has overall responsibility for developing, co-ordinating and driving the national anti-poverty strategy, which is the national action plan for combating poverty and social inclusion. The office...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Senator Terry knows that two claims are linked if a claim is considered to be a continuation of a previous claim. If a person makes an unemployment benefit or disability claim within 26 weeks of the end of a previous claim, both claims can be linked. The recipient can enjoy certain benefits when claims are linked. The claimant can retain some or all of the entitlements established during the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: On amendment No. 6, to qualify for a social insurance payment a person must fulfil all the relevant conditions, including the social insurance contribution conditions relating to the particular benefit being claimed. These contributions rules exist to preserve a fair balance between the contributions paid and benefits received. Certain principles are required when setting equitable...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I believe there is about €1.5 billion in the fund but I am open to correction. Although €1.5 billion seems like a lot, it amounts to only four months of payments. The Senator will appreciate that while the fund is solid, it has not been built up such that it will last for three or four years.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: If no more money was put into the fund, one could draw on it for four months.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The good news is that it was never so healthy.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: It is hard to estimate the number of children affected by the discontinuation of the crèche supplement last year because we continued to pay the supplement to existing recipients. We stopped accepting new applications and do not know how many people would have applied had they had the opportunity. There is no way to estimate this number accurately. I provided €2.3 million for the provision...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: It straddles four Departments if one includes the Department of Finance.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: There are possible taxation supports which come within the remit of the Department of Education and Science too so it could involve five Departments.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Is this on amendment No. 8?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Séamus Brennan: No. I am informed that the service continued in any case, funded by the Department of Health and Children. Those crèches received funding from the Department through the health boards and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. We paid 1,738 people by the end of 2003 but we do not have a figure for those who might have applied to us had the rule not been changed. We have no way...