Results 521-540 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Order for Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to introduce the second of two Bills intended to implement the €874 million social welfare package announced in budget 2005. This sum represents a 40% increase of €244 million on the 2004 package of €630 million and brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2005 to over €12.25 billion. That...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 12 January 2005. One of the conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit is that a person must have sustained a substantial loss of employment and a reduction in earnings. Information provided by the employer, in this case, indicates that although there has been a reduction in the average number of days per week worked by the person...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The various functions undertaken by me since my appointment are outlined in the following appendix A. Appendix A. 1.Meetings with the following organisations: Pensions Board officials Carers Association National Association of People with an Intellectual Disability Age Action Ireland Accord CORI Disability Federation of Ireland The British Ambassador Children's Rights Alliance ICTU...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. It is also available to carers and to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. It applies to travel within the State and cross-Border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. A variety of travel concessions are granted by most EU member states to retired...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme 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. At present, to qualify for participation in the scheme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant...

Written Answers — Seachtain na Gaeilge: Seachtain na Gaeilge (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Eagráitear seachtain na Gaeilge fé choimirce Chonraidh na Gaeilge; is é feidhm na seachtaine an ghaeilge a chur chun cinn trí imeacthaí agus ghníomhaíochtaí a reachtáil ar fud na tíre. I mbliana, mar a dheineadh cheanna, cuirfear seachtain na Gaeilge in iúl do baill fóirne mo Ranna i slite eagsúla. Foilseófar bailiúcháin suimiúil d'airteagail i nGaeilge, scríofa ag baill...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Entitlement to rent supplement rests with the tenant, not the landlord. Payment is normally made to the tenant, although a person who is awarded rent supplement may nominate his or her landlord as being the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Subject to certain conditions, rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If he wishes to apply he...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank all the Deputies who spoke on the Bill. I listened to every contribution and took careful note of the themes, ideas and concerns put forward by Deputies. It was a very constructive debate and I thank each and every Deputy who took the trouble to contribute to it. It was the type of debate I hope we can have on many occasions so that we can steer the policy forward. For the first time...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am aware the Deputy wishes to ask a range of questions in respect of such disregards and I will deal with them on Committee Stage. It may be of assistance to the Deputy to know that one-parent family payment recipients may also benefit from the budget improvement in the assessment of capital for means purposes. This significantly increases the capital disregard from €12,700 to €20,000....

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy knows, it is not that easy. This is a complicated issue.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It depends where the ball is.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: One also has to watch out for the odd own goal. The study to which I refer is being undertaken by a total of six Departments, including the Taoiseach's. It will be available in the middle of this year and we will then see how we can use it to move matters forward. I am interested in progressing matters as fast as possible. A number of Deputies referred to the back to education allowance. I...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Referral to Select Committee. (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs in accordance with Standing Order 120(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for carer's allowance on 10 November 2004. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test that applies is satisfied. In this case, the full-time care and attention condition is satisfied. The case has been forwarded to an investigative officer of my Department for a...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In 2004, my Department sent 140 tonnes of paper and approximately 5.5 tonnes of electrical equipment for recycling. Information on other categories requested by the Deputy is not available as such waste is not separated and weighed at present. Arrangements are being made for the introduction of a comprehensive waste management system that will result in the recycling of waste produced, to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for an increase in her carer's allowance in respect of a second care recipient on 28 January 2005. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test that applies is satisfied. A decision issued on 8 February 2005 to the person concerned refusing her application on the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 101 and 102 together. The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. From January the maximum rate of carer's allowance for a carer under 66 years increased from €139.60 to...

Written Answers — Departmental Credit Cards: Departmental Credit Cards (17 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The total expenditure incurred by corporate charge card transactions from May 2002 to 27 January 2005 was €55,856.97. These transactions can be categorised under the following headings: travel, accommodation, official entertainment, official gifts, conferences and training courses, technical manuals, magazine subscriptions, computer equipment and stationery and post.