Results 4,301-4,320 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The transitional half rate payment is a payment made to lone parents whose earnings from employment exceed the statutory limit of €293.00 per week and who were in receipt of one parent family payment for 52 consecutive weeks immediately prior to their earnings exceeding the limit. At 31 December 2003, a total of 759 lone parents were in receipt of the transitional half-rate payment. At the...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There are two issues. One is affordability given that the extension of the scheme would cost between €10 million and €19 million approximately, and the other is a legal issue relating to the EU. We shall have to focus on the second issue to see what is possible. One could then see if one could afford it. I am sure the Deputy will not mind if I pay tribute to Deputy Stagg who has raised...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 103 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. The issue of extending the free travel scheme to non-resident pensioners was examined in the review of the free schemes which was...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy's suggestion is helpful and I will certainly consider it. I will ask for input from the eminent professor on the basis that the Deputy has referred to him in the House. In the first instance and before I establish any group, I want my officials to establish what scope is allowed from the point of view of Brussels. This may be a matter of fact as much as of opinion. When that scope...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I will consider the matter. I do not recall any discussions at the Council of Ministers about cross-border free travel arrangements. Other member states do not offer free schemes to the extent they are offered in Ireland. This country is unique in its schemes for free fuel and free travel. Not many countries offer these schemes and few, if any, have cross-border arrangements. I will check...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I acknowledge this is a worthy objective. The benefit would be seen in increased family ties leading perhaps to more family solidarity. The greater economic cohesion and benefits brought about by those visitors would greatly benefit the country. The figure of €10 million to €19 million is the current best estimate available to the Department of the cost of extending the scheme to the...

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I recently reviewed the current arrangements for the assessment of capital for social assistance purposes and am introducing significant improvements by way of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill being debated in this House. In assessing means for social assistance purposes, account is taken of cash income a person may have together with the value of capital and property except the home....

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I will examine the individual case. However, the present rules are that a person's home is not taken into account. I presume that means a person's home in which a person lives. If the home is an investment, the owner does not live in it and it is available for rental, then the present rules, as I understand them, mean the property is not exempt. Cash income, the value of capital and property,...

Social Welfare Code. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: To my knowledge, that is not the case. I will check the position but I understand the same rules, including a means test, apply.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 87, 99, 101 and 115 together. My Department issues payments each week to approximately 1.1 million customers in respect of 49 separate schemes. This requires implementing a complex set of procedures to ensure payments are produced accurately and on time. At Christmas time the process is more complex as additional procedures are required to pay double...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I regret if hardship was caused to anybody as my intention is to ensure the opposite. What occurred was not an overpayment but an advance of entitlements. To put the issue in context, of more than 1 million recipients of a weekly payment from the Department, 47,000 who have bank accounts were paid in advance for an additional week. Given that the Christmas bonus had been paid several weeks...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: While I accept that those who received a double payment may have been upset by the decision, it arose because recipients received an advance payment for the following week. I took the decision to skip a week's payment to catch up with the advance. The Department took the view — I make this point advisedly — that given that the customers in question receive payment via a bank account...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: This is one of those events I wish had never happened. The Department and I regret that payments were made to the bank accounts of 47,000 welfare recipients a week in advance. Deputies may have different experiences but my understanding is that social welfare customers are generally increasingly aware of their rights and entitlements and increasingly able to manage money and budgets.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: To put the matter in perspective, what happened was that people were paid a week in advance. The worst that could have happened is that a significant proportion of that number could have believed this to be a bonus. I have no way of knowing how many recipients understood this to be the case but I take on board Deputy Crowe's information that he received many complaints to that effect. I...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: There is a difference between an overpayment and an advance and there is scope for political argument in this regard.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: In referring to a "method of repayment", Deputy Stanton suggests that I should have pursued the 47,000 welfare recipients in question in an attempt to secure weekly repayments of some fixed amount. I did not pursue anybody for repayments but took the view that recipients should keep the money they had been given in advance. Why should I attempt to get money back? It would only make the...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: This payment represented something to which the recipients were entitled, though not until the following week. Whether such a payment constitutes an advance or an overpayment is a matter for debate.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Perhaps we should give social welfare recipients an option as to when they will be paid. I have already dealt with the repayment issue. We did not regard this as a case in which any amount was due to be repaid to the Department. The double payment was explained to the recipients and we communicated that there would be no attempt to reclaim the extra moneys. Repayment was not an issue because...

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: Only by choice.

Social Welfare Benefits. (23 Feb 2005)

Séamus Brennan: I trust them.