Results 1,841-1,860 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 43, 49, 87 and 150 together. According to census 2002, there are 48,500 people providing personal care for over four hours per day. Over 25,700 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. This means that almost 53% of the 48,500 carers, estimated by the CSO to be caring for more than four hours per day, are in receipt of a...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In the face of rapid population aging the OECD considers that there is a need to promote better employment opportunities for older people. Much of the focus in this area revolves around the reform of social welfare pensions systems and early retirement schemes but the OECD points to the need for a broader reform agenda which includes welfare systems, employment and dismissal procedures in...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department engages consultancy expertise under three main headings. In the first instance consultancy is sought for a number of strategic multi-annual programmes aimed at enhancing the delivery of the Department's services. The second type are technical consultancies relating to the ongoing development of information technology systems. The final type is a consultancy assistance in other...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 25 together. The number of families benefiting from the family income supplement scheme on 18 November 2005 was 16,650. Family income supplement, FIS, is a payment made to low income families with children who are in employment but on low earnings, thereby preserving the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I recently announced that total spending on social welfare will increase in 2006 to a total of €12.49 billion even before announcements of further social welfare spending are made as part of the Government's broader budget package. The vast bulk of this spending meets the costs of payments to persons who through no fault of their own find themselves in circumstances where they need...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Government is committed to maintaining a viable network of post offices throughout the country. The development and installation of any new technology which An Post might make available in post offices is a commercial matter for the company and that of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, who is the Minister responsible for An Post. I have no role...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 35 together. The causes of poverty and its effects are multi-faceted and require an integrated, multi-policy response for application at national, regional and local levels. The Government's strategic approach to tackling poverty was initially provided through the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, which was introduced in 1997. This strategy has now...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 18, 84 and 91 together. The Government acknowledges that the risk of poverty tends to be higher among one parent families, larger families and those faced by long-term unemployment, due mainly to the direct costs of rearing children, including child care costs, and the opportunity costs related to the reduced earning capacity of parents, arising from their...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The EU Commission has recently published the Proposal for a Directive on Improving the Portability of Supplementary Pension Rights, commonly referred to as the pension portability directive. The purpose of the directive is to facilitate free movement of workers within and between EU member states by removing obstacles to mobility within and between member states which may be caused by present...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 46 and 47 together. 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. There have been a number of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 23, 90 and 99 together. 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. The basis for the restriction contained in the rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is...

Written Answers — Departmental Co-Operation: Departmental Co-Operation (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 29, 37, 45, 55, 57, 68 and 94 together. Effective cross-departmental co-operation is necessary for the achievement of many of the goals, objectives and strategies identified in my Department's Statement of Strategy 2005-2007, Security with Opportunity. In some cases, such as the national anti-poverty strategy or the REACH project, my Department has the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 34 and 79 together. Diet 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. Any person who is receiving a social welfare or health service executive payment, who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department is pursuing a modernisation programme which aims to build on the quality service it provides at present and to ensure an excellent service is maintained into the future. The establishment of a separate agency to administer and deliver social welfare payments is one of a number of options that are under consideration as part of the public service modernisation programme. The...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 63 together. I have received representations from a number of organisations including the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions concerning the exploitation of migrant workers. The position is that migrant workers qualify for social insurance benefits in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 36, 52, 74, 89, 146 and 147 together. Fuel allowances are a supplementary entitlement payable over the winter heating season to eligible people in receipt of pensions and other qualifying social welfare schemes. Some 274,000 people receive this allowance, at an aggregate cost of €85.4 million this year. In addition to the fuel allowance, over 320,000...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: It is Government policy to encourage people to participate in supplementary pension arrangements so that they can, when they retire, maintain their pre-retirement standard of living. To this end, a range of measures has been introduced in recent years including personal retirement savings accounts, PRSAs, mandatory employer PRSA access where occupational schemes are not available, and an...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 58 together. My Department's back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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. There are no specific formal arrangements currently in...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In July 2000, Government approved proposals by the Department for a service delivery modernisation programme or SDM. The SDM is a multi-annual programme of work involving the introduction of new technology and the replacement of legacy computer systems. It also involves the redesign of back office systems. The SDM programme is being implemented in a number of self-contained projects spanning...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The household benefits package, which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who...