Results 1,741-1,760 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Social Welfare Appeals. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: There were 13,419 appeals in 2005, 47% of which had a favourable outcome for the appellant, that is, they were either fully or partially allowed or resolved by way of a revised decision on the part of a deciding officer. The same figure of 47% also applies to the previous year. A total of 41% of cases going to appeal were disallowed, which was much the same as the previous year. A further...

Social Welfare Appeals. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy is aware, a new system has been in place since 2002. I am sure he has advised constituents about it. Applicants can return to the deciding officer for a review of his or her decision if new information comes up. It is not a question of failing to consider such information. In many cases, this can speed up matters and 25% of them were resolved by way of revised decisions on...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 88 together. The money advice and budgeting service, MABS, provides assistance to people who are overly indebted and need help and advice to cope with debt problems. It is a countrywide service, delivered through 52 independent companies, and in 2006 had a total budget of more than €16 million. The number of clients seeking the assistance of the...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The findings of a major report entitled Do the Poor Pay More?, which was produced some time ago, and other research make it clear that poor people pay more for loans. Apart from banks, the Consumer Credit Act 1995 envisaged moneylenders as a sector. Under the Act, a person must charge a minimum of 23% to be considered a moneylender, as opposed to a financial institution or bank. The...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Deputy Stanton is aware that we increased the number of units that pensioners could avail of for electricity and gas, beginning in October in the case of gas and January in the case of electricity. This move will protect pensioners against the recent increases in electricity and gas prices and is a positive step. I agree with Deputy Penrose's comments about encouraging people to make greater...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Deputy knows my views on this. I suppose it is relative——

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It could be argued that fewer people should seek assistance from the MABS as the country gets richer but, as expectations increase, that is the reason more people seek assistance from it.

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: It relates to credit card bills.

Homeless Persons. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Make Room campaign makes a number of proposals relating to rent supplements which are provided under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The campaign recommends that rent caps, namely the specified limits on the amount of rent that an applicant for rent supplement may incur, be reviewed to reflect the real market cost of renting. The rent limits have, in my view, a very...

Homeless Persons. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I join the Deputy in complimenting the Make Room organisation and its component organisations. I have no difficulty with their objectives and what they want to achieve. We are making good solid progress in that direction generally. On the question of rent caps, I concentrated on the rent supplement scheme because, I suspect, the question is also tabled to other Departments and I chose to...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is designed to provide support for people on low earnings with child dependants and provide the incentive for them to remain in, or take up, employment. Recent improvements to family income supplement include the change of assessment from a gross income basis to net income, the increase to €20 per week in the minimum payment and, in budget 2006, the refocusing of...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Family income supplement is an important scheme. It is targeted as it supports families on low incomes. In answer to the Deputy's question on increasing the supplement, we made strong moves on the family income supplement in almost every budget. We will certainly consider making similar improvements in the coming budget. I am committed to the scheme and hope to continue to improve the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. To qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The person to whom the Deputy refers submitted an application for the Respite Care Grant on 16th August 2006. In the course of processing the claim it was decided that further investigation is required in relation to certain aspects of the application and, accordingly, the claim was forwarded to the Department's Social Welfare Inspector in Claremorris on the 22nd September 2006. A report is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The introduction of waivers or subsidies in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority. Waste collection and charging arrangements vary considerably and the introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would be complex given the wide range of charging regimes and...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised recruitment body for the civil service and is responsible for the recruitment of all persons, including persons with disabilities, for the main civil service grades. Recruitment competitions run by PAS are open to all, including people with disabilities, subject to their meeting the eligibility requirements of the competition in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 167, inclusive, together. The cost of increasing the lowest rate of social welfare payment (€165.80) by €35.50 per week is estimated as €835 million in a full year. The cost of increasing all payments made to those under 66 years of age, and not just those on the lowest rate of payment, by €35.50 per week, is estimated as €1,081million in a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Access to transport is an important issue for people with disabilities in participating more fully in society in general as well as facilitating access to employment opportunities. My Department does not provide direct assistance towards private taxi travel but administers the Free Travel scheme allowing eligible persons, including certain people with disabilities, to use public transport and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: Budget 2006 contained a number of important measures designed to target resources at particular groups of older people, including farmers. In considering these measures I was anxious to target resources at those who are at the greatest risk of poverty, to encourage saving, and to simplify the system of income support for older people who do not receive contributory pensions. One of the key...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Nov 2006)

Séamus Brennan: My Department administers a wide range of means-tested social assistance schemes provided for in Part III of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005. The assessment of means is carried out by local social welfare inspectors and in certain circumstances by other staff of the Department where referral to an inspector is not warranted. My Department currently employs 372 social welfare...