Results 2,801-2,820 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

National Economic and Social Forum Report. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Since its establishment, the National Economic and Social Forum gave considerable time and consideration to labour market issues. I welcome this latest report by the NESF which provides a significant and timely contribution to consideration of labour market strategies. The report covers a breadth of issues and the implications extend way beyond the social welfare system to include local...

National Economic and Social Forum Report. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I have begun to implement the report's recommendations by substantially increasing the family income supplement payment——

National Economic and Social Forum Report. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: ——in the recent budget. I will announce within the next weeks a major media campaign on radio and television and in the newspapers to promote the family income supplement. I have recently agreed a departmental budget to promote the family income supplement which provides quite an assistance top-up to family income. It is aimed at those on low incomes and I acknowledge the take-up is not...

National Economic and Social Forum Report. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There is a plethora of BMWs and mercs floating around this town and in the country generally because people are well-off. There is new wealth which can get in one's face and be fairly gaudy and a bit flash at times. It is one of the by-products of a society that is becoming wealthier. I find the comment that there is less equality of opportunity a little harder to handle. Apart from any...

National Economic and Social Forum Report. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: This is being undertaken. We are fully committed to tapering as opposed to immediate withdrawal of any allowance. Tapering was introduced in the recent budget in a dramatic way and I will continue the practice. The Deputy would not be very enthusiastic about indexation if he considered it further. If welfare benefits were to be indexed to inflation or even to wages, the recipients would be...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I consider that the current arrangements concerning entitlements to a qualified adult allowance are reasonable in the circumstances, particularly having regard to a number of important improvements I introduced in budget 2006. As the Deputy is aware, in the case of contributory pensions and most other contributory and non-contributory social welfare payments, a qualified adult allowance, QAA,...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: If the Deputy is asking me to review it——

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: ——I will certainly do so. Now that he has raised the matter, I will have it monitored. There is, however, substantial flexibility here. If there is a joint account, say, from a redundancy or pension lump sum, and a couple is involved, one of whom is in receipt of a qualified adult allowance, they will have the choice of lodging the lump sum in their joint names or to one person. If they...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I suspect that it is complicating life somewhat for them.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I will monitor the situation but there is sufficient flexibility there for a lump sum not to be the cause of ruling out a person getting a qualified adult allowance, which was the Deputy's main concern. As I said in my initial reply, if they have it in a joint account and wish to reassess that and split it up, we will certainly co-operate with them.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 19, 41, 46, 49, 68, 72 and 138 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The cost of removing the means test for carers' allowances stands at €140 million.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I tried that before and it did not work.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: This is an interesting debate which I do not mind having on the floor of the House, and I have an open mind. This year, by means of the budget, I am spending €53 million on carers. Arguably, I could have said I would not spend that money on carers and remove the means test instead. However, that would have meant people on very high incomes being entitled to carers' allowances. That may be...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Yes, that is how the child benefit operates. I am interested to see the argument for removing the means test should come from the Labour Party benches. It would normally come from other quarters. I have an open mind about it. The question for me on the €140 million is whether to target it and increase the amount of money for the disregards and respite care down the line or spread it thinly...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I thank Barnardos for its research in this area. I agree with the Deputy that we must examine this matter closely. Carer's allowance is not paid to anyone under the age of 18 years. As the Deputy stated, a couple of hundred people are involved full time. I would not quibble with that figure as it sounds about right. I do not know whether there are 3,000 part-time young carers but I have asked...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Our 15, 16 and 17 year olds should not need to be full-time carers. The challenge is to get them out of those positions. On balance, I would be against paying carer's allowance to people under 18 years of age. We should try to focus on solving their problems through the HSE, education service, my Department's service and so on. We should try to bring all the State's services to bear so that a...

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: If it is the case that the person absolutely must be a carer, we must examine what type of income support we can manage but I do not want to put an incentive in place, as it were, to encourage that number to grow. I share the awareness of this fairly substantial societal issue with the Deputy and have asked the Department to examine it.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I will press on with the issue as quickly as I can. The Deputy and Barnardos have highlighted it, but the answer is not simple. I am not in favour of paying carer's allowance to these people.

Social Welfare Benefits. (9 Feb 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I agree. The issue, therefore, is determining how to ensure that they get to school and the persons they are forced to care for are cared for in some other way.