Results 1,401-1,420 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan
- Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (4 Oct 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. The back to education allowance is essentially a social welfare replacement income support which is paid at a...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: My Department's inspectorate, appointed under section 212 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993, assesses entitlement to all means tested social welfare schemes, excluding supplementary welfare allowance. Reviews of means-tested payments are also carried out by inspectors to ensure the conditions regarding entitlement continue to be satisfied. The inspectors' remit also includes the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: Recipients of social welfare or Health Service Executive payments that have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition, and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. This scheme and related supplements are administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of...
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (4 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency, DESSA, is one of six specialist support agencies funded under the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme. These support agencies were selected to provide support to family resource centres on specific issues, others being women's aid, racism, drugs, Traveller issues and arts. DESSA became a specialist support agency in...
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Order for Second Stage. (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage. (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to introduce this Bill to the House. It is important and unique legislation. Social welfare legislation was consolidated on two previous occasions, 1981 and 1993. Since 1993, 18 Social Welfare Acts and a further eight miscellaneous Acts amending the provisions of the 1993 Act have been passed. Deputies will recall that the...
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage. (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I did very little of it.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: There are too many socialists in Government.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I do not intend to do so.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I do not intend to do what the Deputy read about.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I intend to increase child benefit.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I do not intend to do what the Deputy read about.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I will not touch it.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I will increase it.
- Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: I thank the Deputy.
- Report of Comptroller and Auditor General: Motion (Resumed). (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: In the case of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Comptroller and Auditor General's report drew particular attention to 46,000 overpayments amounting in value to â¬56 million. While taking on board the lessons to be learned from the report, it is also important as it shows the extent to which a minority of people often set out deliberately to mislead the Department. For...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: For the purposes of most social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based on the income of the spouse or partner. A qualified adult increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse or partner's income is â¬88.88 per week or less and tapered reduced rates are payable where income is less than â¬220 per week. The lower threshold was last increased in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or Health Service Executive payments towards meeting their additional heating needs during the winter season. Under the scheme a fuel allowance of â¬9.00 per week is paid to eligible households during a 29 week winter heating period from the end of October to mid-April each year. An...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or health service executive payments and who are unable to meet the cost of their heating needs during the winter season from October to April. Residents of local authority accommodation where central heating is provided at a subsidised level are not currently eligible for the fuel...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (6 Oct 2005)
Séamus Brennan: For the purposes of most other social welfare payments, entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult is based on the income of the spouse or partner. A qualified adult increase at the maximum rate is payable where the spouse/partner's income is â¬88.88 per week or less and tapered reduced rates are payable where income is less than â¬220 per week. The lower threshold was last increased...