Results 681-700 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In the case raised by the Deputy, the person commenced a FÁS training course on 6 December 2004. Under agreed arrangements with FÁS, people undertaking training who are in receipt of disability allowance, are eligible for a FÁS training allowance instead of disability allowance. Payment of disability allowance is suspended for the duration of the person's attendance on the FÁS training...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (3 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In 2003, the personnel section of my Department engaged the services of the person concerned, to adjudicate on a pay claim submitted by the branch managers' association. This work included a one-day arbitration hearing on 19 February 2003 and the total cost was €1,306. No other consultancy or other work was carried out for or on behalf of this Department since 1998 by the person concerned.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, HSE, provides for exceptional needs payments to be made to assist with essential, once-off expenditure in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional needs payments, are made at the discretion of the community welfare division of the Health Service...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance educational 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 workforce. The conditions for entitlement to the third level option of the back to education allowance were revised with effect...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 31 January 2005. The claim is still under investigation in relation to a possible link, through a community employment scheme, with a previous unemployment benefit claim. A decision on this claim will be made as soon as possible and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome. The person concerned is currently in receipt of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Dublin Mid-Leinster region of the Health Service Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to apply she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre who will assess her situation and determine her entitlement.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy is aware from my replies to previous parliamentary questions regarding this case, a significant overpayment of diet supplement arose because the person concerned did not notify the community welfare officer that he had commenced employment. The Health Service Executive, which administers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme on my behalf, is obliged to seek to recover any...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a number of child income support measures, including child benefit which delivers a standard rate of payment in respect of all children in a family regardless of income levels or employment status. Child benefit supports all children but delivers proportionately more assistance to those on low incomes and with larger families. The very substantial increases in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Diet supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The Dublin Mid-Leinster region of the executive has advised that it has no record of an application for diet supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to apply he should contact the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are 11 full-time staff in the private office. This includes a special adviser and a press adviser appointed on a contract basis for my term of office. The total salary, allowances, overtime, employers PRSI and private pension costs for 2004 for the private offices of both the previous Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Mary Coughlan and myself were €531,665. A breakdown of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I have not yet met formally with EU officials regarding this matter. However, it has been raised in the House a number of times recently and I am continuing my examination of the issues involved, which have budgetary and EU implications.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. They will appreciate that the technicalities involved, the procedures with which the House must comply and the wording of the amendment are such that it is not possible for me to accept it as it stands. I am aware, however, that the amendments have been tabled in order to facilitate discussion and debate. As stated on a number of occasions, I...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I would like to see that letter.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: We have rules and cut-off points, but at the same time we have to be sensible. The clearest evidence that the transition to work is having an effect is the falling unemployment figures. People are coming off unemployment and into the workforce. There is a also a constant flow of people back to education. However, I accept that we have to get a clearer measurement on that.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As Senators are aware, this debate has been going on for some time. I appreciate that the amendment before the House has been tabled for pro forma reasons to allow us to discuss the issue. I would have no difficulty in returning to the House to debate this subject from time to time. Indeed, I doubt if I could avoid it, given that the subject is so controversial. Senators have raised a number...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: This is a difficult area. Any payment made to somebody who is unemployed — one has to be unemployed to get the rent allowance — could be called a disincentive. One could incentivise anyone fairly quickly by taking away his or her payments. He or she would get up the next morning with a great incentive but that would not be fair. I do not think Senator O'Meara is suggesting we do that. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Senator for proposing the amendment. She will be aware that I asked the Department to carry out an examination of the current arrangements of the assessment of capital, particularly as they apply to SSIAs, with a view to bringing forward proposals which might be included in budget 2005. On budget day, we announced that the capital disregards for means test purposes for all...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I will keep the matter under review. The increase from approximately €13,000 to €20,000 is the largest ever single move in this area and should deal with the situation.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I have made considerable changes in this area. Some 16 amendments were introduced last year. In the case of five or six amendments, depending on how one considers them, we have reverted to the previous situation. We made substantial amendments in another five or six areas and I will continue to review or discuss the remainder with the social partners, as necessary. We spent some time...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (8 Mar 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Senators. Child poverty is of great concern to me and to all of us. Different figures arise. There is a famous figure of 66,000 children in poverty in Ireland. The figure varies depending on whatever report one takes heed of. I have also seen substantially larger figures. Whatever the figure is, there is an issue which must be addressed. Child benefit this year will come to about...