Results 4,021-4,040 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 130 and 135 together. The Family Support Agency, which was established in May 2003, brings together family support programmes and services introduced by the Government in recent years. The agency's main functions are to: provide a family mediation service throughout the country; support, promote and develop the provision of marriage and relationship...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department assists and encourages the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service. One significant measure is the back to work allowance scheme which incentivises and encourages long-term unemployed people,...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 131 and 133 together. There are two main indicators for measuring poverty. The first measures the proportion at risk of poverty by virtue of the income they receive. This is the general indicator used by the European Union and it is based on an income threshold of 60% of median income. A new EU survey on income and living conditions, EU-SILC, carried out...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 141 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 new rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The restriction is not based on citizenship, nationality,...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 308 and 328 together. I understand that my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, will shortly be bringing proposals to Government in respect of repayments to residents and former residents of publicly-funded long stay care places. During the period in question, my Department paid affected persons their full pension and other...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The report Inclusion is Everyone's Business was launched by the Taoiseach on 28 February 2005 and examines Dublin city in terms of demography, socio-economic factors, levels of affluence, deprivation and social exclusion. I welcome the report as an important milestone in the process of developing integrated anti-poverty strategies at local level to underpin and strengthen the overall national...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland made a submission to my Department in February 2005 setting out its views on how the operation of the habitual residence condition impacts on migrant workers and their families. While the submission claimed that the habitual residence condition is causing undue hardship and in effect placing vulnerable people's lives and safety at risk it did not provide any...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 148 together. The current national action plan against poverty and social exclusion which covers the period 2003-05 sets out in detail the actions being taken by Government to give effect to its strategy to combat poverty and social exclusion. The plan sets out commitments and targets for all relevant Government Departments aimed at meeting the Lisbon...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 154 together. The supplementary welfare scheme is being reviewed as part of my Department's programme of expenditure reviews. The review is being carried out by an inter-departmental working group chaired by my Department, including the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive. The review involves a...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Under my Department's families research programme to date, 14 reports have been published on a range of issues such as parenting, family formation, family well-being, marriage and relationships counselling and children's experiences of parental separation. Two of the 14 research projects dealt specifically with men's issues. A report entitled Young Men on the Margins, published in April 2004,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: This question relates to media reports regarding comments made by a District Court judge during the course of a court hearing in a case taken by my Department. As the Deputy is aware, the case in question is still before the courts and, in these circumstances, it would be inappropriate of me to comment at this stage.

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Applicants for one-parent family payment are required to make ongoing efforts to look for adequate maintenance from their former spouses, or, in the case of unmarried applicants, the other parent of their child. Normally, this maintenance is obtained by way of negotiation or by court order, though separated couples are increasingly using my Department's family mediation service which is being...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The one-parent family payment is the income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons and also for prisoners spouses who are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. It was introduced in 1997 when it replaced a number of schemes for different categories of lone parent. At the end of March 2004, there were 80,087 persons receiving one-parent family...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A number of measures have been introduced in recent years which make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. These include extended social insurance coverage and an easing of the qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pensions. These measures are of particular benefit to women who may have less than complete social insurance records due to working in the home. In...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: A person approaching pension age who is in receipt of a social welfare payment is advised to apply for the pension three months in advance of reaching pension age. The onus remains on the person to complete the application form and submit this to the Department. About 30% of all those who apply for an old age pension are notified under this process. The social security authorities in a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: My Department has held discussions with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding aspects of the arrangements governing the collection and disposal of domestic waste. The matter is also being discussed through the social partnership process. The discussions between my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have focused...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 to 306, inclusive, 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...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Exemption from payment of social insurance employment contributions for a period not exceeding 52 weeks can be granted in respect of the temporary employment of persons who are not ordinarily resident in the State. Such exemptions are subject to the employee in question having a valid work permit and confirmation by the employer that social insurance contributions are paid in their home...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Travel costs are paid to officials in my Department in accordance with Department of Finance regulations and instructions. These regulations and instructions set out the various conditions governing travel on official business, including the general requirement to use public transport at all times where this is available and feasible. My Department issues internal guidelines to staff from...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Apr 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The function of the press office in my Department is to provide a press service to the Minister and the Department and to provide an effective channel of communication with the media. The role of the staff in the press office is to carry out these functions. There are three staff in the Department's press office. The three departmental officers assigned to the press office include the press...