Results 3,221-3,240 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: To qualify for an unemployment payment a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. Following a review, a deciding officer disallowed the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned from 2 November 2005, on the grounds that she was not available for or genuinely seeking full-time work. The person concerned stated that she had not looked for work and that she...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 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 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 low or subsidised level are not eligible for the allowance. In a recent review...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The scheme in question is a defined benefit scheme. In 1991 and 1994, the scheme was split with the result that there are now three schemes, one for staff, one for middle management and one for senior executives. In 1996, a member trustee of the staff scheme complained to the Pensions Board about specific financial issues associated with the splitting of the scheme which the trustee believed...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for the each local authority and a number have done so. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue is not considered feasible given the wide range of charging...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the social welfare tribunal, and the Family Support Agency. In addition, the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of my Department. Appointments to State boards are generally made on the basis of the qualifications and suitability of the individuals...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims. The Dublin and mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that, following a review of her entitlements, it determined that the person concerned...

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy should not start with such comments.

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: On the latter point, I am aware that the consolidation procedure is very restrictive. It is laid down in Standing Orders and when I was asked to nominate three people, I did not have much scope and chose members of the two larger Opposition parties and one person from the Government side. It is no reflection on other Members. I would have been delighted to include other parties had I had the...

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I apologise, the scheme was closed off with effect from 2 January 1997. No new applications for the scheme were accepted after that date. Some people were stranded within the old scheme because they fell between the two earnings deadlines. This has been brought to my attention and in the past couple of hours my officials and I sat down to discuss this issue which needs to be resolved. We are...

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 36, lines 16 and 17, to delete all words from and including "section" in line 16 down to and including "1996" in line 17 and substitute "section 178(1)(a)".

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 229, lines 46 and 47, to delete all words from and including "section" in line 46 down to and including "1996" in line 47 and substitute "section 178(1)(a) or (b)".

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 245, lines 31 to 33, column 1, to delete all words from and including "section" in line 31 down to and including "1996" in line 33 and substitute "section 178(1)(a)".

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 261, lines 57 to 59, column 1, to delete all words from and including "section" in line 57 down to and including "1996" in line 59 and substitute "178(1)(b) or (c)".

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 273, line 10, column 1, to delete "158(1)(a)" and substitute "157(1)(a)". This amendment is consequential on the renumbering of the text following Committee Stage amendments. It corrects an inaccurate section reference, changing 158 to 157.

Social Welfare Consolidation Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I thank the Deputies who gave consideration to the Bill on Second Stage, on Committee Stage and in the House today. I found the contributions very practical and we have come away with some markers on what further progress we need to make. I thank Deputies for that. I also join them in thanking the officials and law officers for all their expertise. To borrow an Americanism, it is awesome to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The electricity allowance covers normal standing charges and up to 1,800 units of electricity each year. VAT due on this standard allowance is also covered. The value of the allowance, if fully taken up, is €359.91 per annum. The natural gas allowance is an alternative to the electricity allowance for people whose homes are connected to a natural gas supply. On the standard tariff, the...

Written Answers — Citizens' Information Service: Citizens' Information Service (3 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department funds Comhairle, the statutory agency responsible for providing people with access to accurate, comprehensive and clear information relating to social services. Comhairle supports and funds a network of citizens' information services to provide information, advice and advocacy services on a wide range of civil and public services. In 2005, Comhairle provided direct funding of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (3 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In the course of the means investigation, the person concerned was asked to provide valuation of a house, not his place of residence, which is owned by him. As this information was not received, the social welfare inspector estimated the value of the property at €100,000. This valuation may be revised on receipt of an appropriate valuation from the person concerned. In the meantime, he may...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Government's decentralisation programme all of the Department's headquarters sections based in Dublin are due to relocate to six locations throughout the country — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Drogheda, Donegal, Buncrana and Carrickmacross. The headquarters offices on the north side of Dublin city are: Áras Mhic Diarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1; Gandon House, Amiens Street, Dublin...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (3 Nov 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The latest available child poverty data are from the EU survey of income and living conditions — EU SILC — for 2003. The EU SILC indicated that 23.9% of children are "at risk of poverty", that is, living in households with less than 60% of median equivalised income for their household size. Of these, approximately 14.6% of children are living in households with income below the 60%...