Results 61-80 of 265 for speaker:Michael Brennan
- Seanad: Free Travel Scheme. (22 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I will open with a formal reply but wish to add a personal comment at the end. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance receive a free travel pass regardless of their age. It is also available to people aged...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (22 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I thank Senator Tuffy for raising this matter. My Department administers a wide range of income support schemes and these payments are made to claimants either on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis depending on the nature of the payment. Payments for long-term schemes, including certain illness and disability schemes, are generally made by a book of payable orders which are cashed at post...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I thank Members for a useful and constructive debate. We will be able to go into matters in more detail on Committee and Report Stages. Senator Terry raised the issue of deferring the State pension and having an enhanced one later. This is part of the pensions review proposal, which is a good idea. I must consider how it will work and how much one will pay actuarially. I will need to do this...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: The Senator might table a motion on the matter.
- Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I would be happy to address the House on the matter. At that stage, I would hope to be in a position to give Senators all the details. I agree with the point made by Senator Henry that child care is crucial to lone-parent reform, which is at the heart of yesterday's document. I hope the Seanad will find time to debate that report. I have asked the Chief Whip if we can have a debate in the...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh.
- Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I am pleased to introduce this, the second of two Bills intended to implement the â¬1.12 billion social welfare package announced in budget 2006 by the Minister for Finance. This substantial investment represents a â¬246 million, or almost 28%, increase on the 2005 package of â¬874 million. It brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2006 to over â¬13.5 billion, which...
- Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)
Michael Brennan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, and his officials to the House, and thank him for taking this opportunity to discuss the Government's ambitious plan. I am aware of calls from various quarters for the rolling-back or postponing of the decentralisation programme, but it is not always clear why groups make such a call. If the call is for political reasons from political parties,...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Michael Brennan: I thank all Members who have contributed to the debate, which acknowledges the contribution of local government to the country in the past 100 years. I thank the Minister for his very comprehensive address which shows the commitment of the Government to the delivery of services for the further development of local authorities. Development charges were mentioned. When the results of the audit...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Michael Brennan: I move: That Seanad Ãireann acknowledges the achievements of the Government in: âsupporting the work and development of local authorities; âproviding â¬2.94 billion in revenue for local authority services and initiatives in 2005; âpromoting the modernisation of local authorities so as to deliver a system that puts local government at the heart of the community, thereby boosting the...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Michael Brennan: May of what year?
- Seanad: Planning and Related Issues: Statements (Resumed). (15 Feb 2006)
Michael Brennan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. In April 2005 we welcomed the Government's policy on rural housing and the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government outlined the draft proposals on rural housing development. Are the Minister and the Members of the Oireachtas satisfied that planning authorities are implementing these regulations consistently around the...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)
Michael Brennan: I welcome the press release by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, regarding the national Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to come to the House to debate how the programme can be delivered on time. Many obstacles may have to be clarified by way of local authorities and the Department working...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: The family income supplement is an important measure to help people on low incomes. This year, we spent an extra â¬25 million on it. Whereas previously it was paid evenly, we changed the rules so larger amounts went to the larger families. That was a substantial change. Not enough people are aware of the FIS and in view of this I plan a substantial campaign to bring it to the attention of...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: The Senator knows these amendments are pro forma; the standard wording requires a Minister to lay a report, so while I cannot formally accept the amendment a simple motion or request will bring me before this House to report on that matter at any time. While for technical reasons the wording of the amendment would cause me all sorts of problems, I have no problem reporting on the progress of...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: The Senator has raised this a number of times, I know her commitment to child care and this area and she exhorts the Government to make it easier for employers to introduce work-friendly and flexible child care systems. The present budget arithmetic is based on starting this in March. I have listened carefully to the Senator's suggestion that it be implemented in January. I have asked my...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: The entitlement to maternity benefit is contingent on entitlement to maternity leave and the legislation on it is the preserve of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The maternity benefit scheme has been significantly improved over the past four years in terms of both the duration and level of payment. In 2001, improvements were made to increase the core maternity leave which...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: Almost 80,000 people were in receipt of one-parent family benefits at the end of last year. It is a significant sector. The changes in the Bill are twofold. It increases the upper earnings threshold by â¬82 per week to â¬375, the first change in the threshold for many years, and the rates being paid will be â¬16 and â¬17 per week. That will help considerably. In January the Cabinet will...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: I will have to get back to Senator Terry on the precise figure in this regard. I understand some 14% of fathers are making payments, an alarmingly low figure. We only deal with those persons on welfare because there are many private arrangements about which we know nothing, involving people who are not customers of the Department. One of the reasons this figure is so low is that many of the...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)
Michael Brennan: I do not have a figure for the Senator.