Results 81-100 of 265 for speaker:Michael Brennan

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: The budget package of €30 million in this area is designed to increase the level of support for carers. This increase makes the carer's allowance the largest single welfare benefit in the State, apart from the provision for the over 80s. The allowance rises to €200 a week, an increase of 17%, and the respite care grant increases by 25%, from €1,000 to €1,200. The income disregard for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: On Senator Bradford's point about the cost of €140 million to remove means testing, this is calculated on the basis of it becoming a universal payment. The reason the figure is lower than the Senator might think is that people must qualify under other conditions. One might think the figure should be much higher for a universal payment. However, if one removed the means test, one would not...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: The figure of €140 million relates to the means test. The other conditions include being available to give full-time care and attention, apart from the 15 hours which is currently the case.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: Only if they meet the conditions.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: The assessment is that it would. This is where the main cost would be involved. It would include people who are not currently in the net. People who failed the means test up to now could come back in.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: Yes, but the other conditions are equally important. I took the view this year that it would be better to put the money into respite care, making it the largest payment in the system, and putting the money into getting the allowances and the disregards up. This package cost €30 million this year. We could have done none of this and used the €140 million to remove the means test. While it...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I knew the Senator would refer to child care.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I wish to outline some interesting figures. The Central Statistics Office indicates that the total number of carers is 150,000 but the total number caring for more than four hours a day is 49,000. Of these, the number caring for more than ten hours a day is 16,000. While there is the headline figure of 150,000 carers, when one inquires about carers in terms of the number of hours of caring...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I will do that.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: It would not be the first time I was the talk of the country. I note the seasonal spirit is breaking out.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I thank Senators for their support. I regard public representatives as being close to welfare issues because of their work. I learn a great deal from listening to such debates. I thank the Senators for the constructive debate we had on this Bill. Between us we got the legislation through expeditiously and I want to acknowledge that we learned something in the process. This Social Welfare Bill...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I indicated yesterday that I am interested in this subject and that I have held a number of meetings in my Department with a view to progressing it. The Senator will recall that, in 2002, a working group recommended the introduction of arrangements that would pay for the splitting of payments on a consensual basis. That is now up and running. Measures have been introduced over a number of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: There would obviously be substantial financial implications in adding 20 years to the scheme. I will examine the matter but I do not want to make any commitments at this point in time. The scheme was established in 1994 and has been welcomed. Any changes made in these areas tend to be like pulling a string because the whole garment can follow and, as many schemes are interrelated, unintended...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: It would be a brave Minister who would interfere with the lunch of a Senator.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I will not detain the Senators for too long. I thank Senators for responding to my request for a constructive debate and I value being in Seanad Éireann to listen to the discussions. I formed the view when I started this job that if I wanted experts in social welfare I needed not look much further than Members of Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann and councillors, because public representatives...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I am very pleased to introduce this, the first of two Bills intended to implement the €1.12 billion social welfare package announced in the budget. This substantial investment represents an almost 28% increase on the 2005 package of €874 million. It brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2006 to more than €13.5 billion, which is double what was spent in 2000. Behind...

Seanad: Care of the Elderly: Motion. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I wish to share time with Senator Lydon. I support the motion and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to have close experience and evidence of the determination of the Tánaiste and Minister of State to provide the best services for elderly people. Recent examples of this determination and of what it can deliver in my own area of Limerick include approval under the...

Seanad: Care of the Elderly: Motion. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: Especially the white ones.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements. (7 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I wish to share time with Senator Kieran Phelan.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements. (7 Dec 2005)

Michael Brennan: I, too, welcome the Minister and her officials to the House and thank her for her detailed contribution. It is important that we make time to discuss issues such as the one before us for a number of reasons. First, there can be a tendency to consider negotiations such as those held at the World Trade Organisation as far off and of little everyday significance to ordinary people but what are...