Results 2,361-2,380 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The respite care grant was extended in 2005 to carers other than those in receipt of a carer's allowance, carer's benefit, prescribed relative allowance, constant attendance allowance and domiciliary care allowance. Carers who do not qualify for a grant under one of these schemes may now obtain a grant if they and the person for whom they are caring satisfy certain conditions. All carers who...

Written Answers — Partnership Agreement: Partnership Agreement (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Social partnership has played an important if not pivotal role in Ireland's dramatic economic and social development since 1987. Through the partnership process, over the past eighteen years or so, we have helped to ensure that the policies of Government and the efforts of the social partners create the right environment for sustainable economic and social development. The prosperity secured...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 34 together. The Construction Federation Operatives Pensions Scheme operates as a Registered Employment Agreement under the Industrial Relations Acts. There is a statutory obligation on employers to register eligible employees in the scheme and to pay the necessary contributions. Compliance with the terms of the scheme is enforced through the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 80 together. The barriers faced by people with disabilities and indeed other groups who are vulnerable to poverty are multi-faceted and require a multi agency response. The National Action Plan Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP/inclusion) sets out the framework for the Government's response to these problems and comprises the range of policies...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The spouses and partners of workers or those in receipt of social welfare payment may apply for unemployment assistance in their own right provided they fulfil the conditions for such payment. These conditions include being capable of and actively seeking work as well as satisfying a means test. In the latter regard, the means of the other spouse/partner is taken into account. Where the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 32 together. Comhairle was established under the Comhairle Act, 2000. Its functions include the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy in relation to social services. Comhairle also has a particular responsibility to assist people with disabilities to identify their needs and access their entitlements. Comhairle carries out its...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 71 together. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: One of the key tasks in the "Ending Child Poverty" initiative under Sustaining Progress is to address obstacles to employment for lone parents. The Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion was mandated late in 2004 to examine this issue and report back to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion with specific proposals. A sub-group of the Senior Officials Group examined obstacles to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

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 1st May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the new EU Member States without the transitional limitations which were being imposed at that time by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The NESC report on the Developmental Welfare State, referred to by the Deputy, constitutes an important contribution to the development of policy, particularly in relation to combating poverty and social exclusion. The report has also significantly informed the NESC's latest strategy report, People, Productivity and Purpose, which is a key input to the current social partnership negotiations....

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 28, 58, 63 and 78 together. The Government acknowledges that the risk of poverty, especially child 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...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 54, 59 and 73 together. The most recent results from the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) show a 0.9% point decline in supplementary pensions coverage from 52.4% of the working population aged 20-69 in quarter 1 of 2004 to 51.5% in the same quarter 2005. The decline is within the margin of error for the survey so the position appears to be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 41 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation...

Written Answers — Partnership Agreement: Partnership Agreement (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Combat Poverty Agency submission to the social partners, "Making a Decisive Impact on Poverty Through Social Partnership", is a constructive and broad ranging document which has, I understand, been forwarded to all parties to the partnership negotiations. It would not be appropriate for me, by commenting on the submission, to pre-empt these negotiations which are still in progress. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Question Nos. 26 and 49 together. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code. : Social Welfare Code. (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The social welfare system is designed to provide income supports and access to relevant services in a timely manner to all our customers. While there is equity in access to the social welfare system for men and women, the impact of the traditional roles of women in the home and the labour market has meant that women may, in some instances, be indirectly impacted with regard to access to...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites. : Departmental Websites. (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department provides a comprehensive information service to the public through a range of media such as publications, advertisements, Community Information centres etc. The Department's website, www.welfare.ie, which was launched in 1996 plays a key role in providing information to the public. Over 100,000 people visit the site every month, with 2.5 million page visits so far this year. It...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes. : Departmental Schemes. (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The free travel scheme permits a recipient to travel free on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by a large number of private operators in various parts of the country. A pensioner can also travel for free on cross border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. There are currently circa 640,000 customers in receipt of the free travel...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits. : Social Welfare Benefits. (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department took over responsibility for the Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance scheme in October 1996 under the new title of Disability Allowance (DA). Since then, the restrictions on payment to persons in residential care have been progressively relaxed and from 1999, Disability Allowance recipients who have been living at home can retain their entitlement on entering a hospital or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals. : Social Welfare Appeals. (11 May 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Decisions on statutory social welfare schemes are made by statutorily appointed Deciding Officers. They determine entitlement to social insurance and social assistance payments and liability for Pay Related Social Insurance contributions in accordance with the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and associated regulations. Decisions on supplementary welfare allowance are made by officers...