Results 1,041-1,060 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I never apologise for reviews. One learns something every day as people move from one payment to another so it would be silly not to review it every day. I keep everything under constant review as we learn how things operate from dealing with people. The Deputy is wrong, although accurate, to phrase it in the way he chose. It is accurate to the extent that if one is on a carer's allowance and...

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The cost would be very substantial.

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The research into indebtedness among lone parents was commissioned by the One Parent Exchange Network with funding from my Department's money advice and budgeting service and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It focuses on the situation where debt has become a dominant aspect of people's lives and has come to carry serious social and health implications. The revelations on debt from an...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am concerned that some lone parents and other welfare recipients appear to encounter considerable difficulties in opening accounts with banks and other financial institutions. As a result, they are often obliged to obtain loans at higher interest rates from finance companies outside the mainstream or from moneylenders. As I indicated, representatives of the Irish Bankers' Federation have...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Legal moneylenders are entitled to charge from 23% to more than 100%. We must examine this legal entitlement and warn people of its implications. Although the rates charged by the 50 licensed moneylenders are very expensive, I am even more concerned about unlicensed lenders. The money advice and budgeting service works hard in this area and has a budget for this year of €13 million. It...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The report into indebtedness, Do the Poor Pay More? was commissioned by OPEN with funding from my Department's money advice and budgeting service and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The report focuses on the situation of those for whom debt has become a dominant aspect of their lives and has come to carry serious social and health implications. The revelations on debt from an earlier...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I do not accept that nothing was done in this area prior to the publication of this welcome report, for which MABS and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provided funding. MABS has expanded over the years and now has more than 220 staff and a dramatically increased budget. This year alone we gave it €700,000 on top of the normal increase so that it could continue to advise people on...

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. A central unit was established to monitor policy in terms of the implementation of the habitual residence condition and to provide advice and support to scheme areas and social welfare local offices. Decisions to the...

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A total of 13,776 cases were decided between 1 May 2004 and May 2005. Of these, 9,895 or 72% were found to satisfy the habitual residence condition. Of the 13,776 cases which were decided, 3,500 were Irish, 2,244 from the UK, 1,716 from the EU 13, 1,887 from new member states and 4,395 others. Affirmative answers were given in 72% of cases and 28% were refused. Approximately 10% of Irish...

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am sorry to disappoint Deputy Stanton but, as I said in my reply, the scheme is being reviewed by the Department.

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I inform the Deputy now that the operation of the habitual residence condition is under review within the Department. That is the case.

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Does Deputy Stanton want me to conduct a review?

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am conducting a review. I take it that the Deputy wants me to do so.

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I said earlier that five factors are taken into account when deciding whether somebody who arrives here is entitled to welfare: the length and continuity of residence in a particular country, the length and purpose of absence from Ireland, the nature and pattern of the employment, the applicant's main centre of interest and the future intention of the applicant concerned as it appears from...

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I have also received the advice of the Attorney General on this matter. These factors will be taken into account when action is being considered. We must protect Ireland's social welfare structure at the same time as being humane and fair to people who come here.

Social Welfare Code. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is my job to find that balance.

Social Insurance. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A total of 1,416 PRSI exemption certificates have been issued to Gama since 2002. The certificates were granted under regulations which provide for exemptions from PRSI contributions for up to 52 weeks per year to be granted to employees not ordinarily resident in the State but who are temporarily employed here. The purpose of the legislation is to enable workers sent by their employers to...

Social Insurance. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The total number of exemptions issued since 1998 is 2,449. Of these, Gama received 1,416. The reference to a random sample was made in respect of the Department's approach in contacting authorities overseas. The Department decided to take a random sample of 40 of Gama's 1,416 employees but, disappointingly, has yet to hear from the social security ministry in the country concerned. We will...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The report to which the Deputy refers is, I understand, Community Platform's mid-term review of the Sustaining Progress agreement. A copy of the report was made available to my Department yesterday and is being examined. As Minister with overall responsibility for the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion, I noted the platform's reported contention that national...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (24 May 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Literally dozens of bodies are in receipt of Government funding in the poverty area. They are all working hard. I have met more than 30 of them in recent weeks on a one to one basis to discuss the issue with them. Through those meetings I have gained a better understanding of their concerns. It should be noted that the community platform withdrew from the national partnership process prior to...