Results 1,801-1,820 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am aware of the concerns expressed recently by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in its pre-budget submission. In view of the particular financial pressures experienced at this time of the year by persons and families in receipt of social welfare payments, I recently announced that a Christmas double payment will be made to more than 1.2 million welfare customers and their dependants. The...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: On MABS, last year's budget gave a special allocation of €700,000, which was exactly the same amount that been removed earlier in one of the cuts referred to by the Deputy. I restored that funding but left it to the discretion of the MABS management as to where it fitted best. One must realise that since 1996, taxpayer spending on this area has doubled. It has moved from €5.7 billion up...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Christmas bonus payment was first introduced in December 1980 for social welfare pensioners and people who depend solely on their social welfare payments for income support. There have been a number of developments in this initiative since its inception, including changes in the level of the bonus payment which has been at the rate of 100% over the past six years, the introduction of a...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As I said, some 834,000 people already get the bonus. The distinction was made many years ago between long-term and short-term recipients. It was decided that long-term people would get the bonus and short-term people would not. The Deputy is quite right in that disability benefit is a short-term scheme. However, there can be an anomaly in that many people can be on a short-term scheme for a...

Departmental Programmes. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that the fruits of our economic growth benefit all, particularly those who are most vulnerable and in need of vital support. I am determined that the resources available to my Department will be targeted at delivering 21st century welfare supports which are characterised by recognition, compassion, activation and service throughout the...

Departmental Programmes. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: She is much more photogenic than I am.

Departmental Programmes. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The last budget began these reforms. We brought in special allowances for carers to recognise their work. We made substantial improvements in child benefit which started the reform process on child poverty. We moved income disregards for pensioners so that they could have much more income before they kicked into a pension. I refute the suggestion that the social agenda I have been laying out...

Departmental Programmes. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I am the target.

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Entitlement to certain social welfare payments aimed at supporting those parenting alone is contingent on the claimant not cohabiting in a spousal relationship with another adult. I am aware that reluctance on the part of some parents to forego the income security provided by schemes such as the one parent family payment may act as a disincentive to the formation of partnerships and...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As a general statement, people should not be obliged to adjust their lives to fit a particular payment. Their lives are their own and we should respond by supporting them in any way possible. I share the Deputy's view that it is not good social policy to have people who wish to live together not do so in order to maximise a payment. I am trying to change such occurrences. It is a difficult...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 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 with the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from the end of September to mid-April. A total of 274,000 customers benefit under the scheme at a cost of €85.4 million this year. As...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: As I have mentioned, 237 people were affected. I have already informed the House that I have instructed the Department to examine precisely what happened in this regard. I propose to make a decision on the matter in the near future. As I stated, the matter arose through an error. That said, the fuel allowance was never intended for people whose fuel was paid for in the first place. Such...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The allowance is means tested. It applies to a number of schemes, including the old age contributory and non-contributory pensions, widows' pensions, lone parents' allowances, allowances for the blind and so on. It covers a range of schemes and as I noted, some 274,000 people are in receipt of it. It is means tested. I will establish the precise cut-off figure for the Deputy. However, as it...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I believe in listening to such groups. I met 35 or more of them in the past year and my officials and I spent an hour or more with each. I have offered each one a second meeting, if it wishes to attend. I am fully available around the clock to talk to the groups and to politicians. As I have said many times, politicians have a special knowledge of this subject because of the clinics they hold...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: We should, and do, co-ordinate with local authorities. We have been in touch with Dublin City Council on the subject in question because we need to have joined-up administration. The aforementioned 237 people, in particular, have been dealing with me in regard to the fuel allowances and with the council in regard to their present heating arrangements.

Local Authority Housing. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 21, 27, 38, 60, 85 and 96 together. Reducing local authority housing waiting lists is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and neither I nor my Department has any direct role in that regard. However, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, administered on my behalf by the community welfare...

Local Authority Housing. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I acknowledge that the progress has been disappointing. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government tells me it will accommodate 256 people under the rental accommodation scheme by the end of the year. It reckons that up to 33,000 households could benefit eventually under the new arrangements. This would probably cost over €120 million. I do not have a note on any...

Local Authority Housing. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The information I have received from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is that 56 have been accommodated, with up to 256 being accommodated by the end of the year. I do not have a breakdown of whether that is one scheme or a number of schemes. I can get that information for the Deputy. Given how small the number is, I assume it is a small number of schemes as...

Local Authority Housing. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The rental accommodation scheme is a new, additional housing option whereby a person can opt for either medium or long-term private rented accommodation or social housing or for both. There is a choice. A person can opt to remain in private rental type accommodation provided by the local authority if that best suits the person's needs. Obviously, providing permanent accommodation is the...

Local Authority Housing. (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The ultimate target as of today is, presumably, 33,000 but there is no date for that. We must press ahead and do as much as we can. That number might not remain static because people come in and out of rent supplement. However, that figure is the current number in rent supplement for over 18 months so that remains the target. The number could change if large numbers were to suddenly vanish...