Results 46,021-46,040 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly
- Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (1 Dec 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: 257. To ask the Minister for Health if getting married would affect access to an existing medical card in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38280/16]
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: I thank the witnesses for their time and submissions and for their ongoing work in their respective fields. I very much appreciate it. I will start with the National Women's Council and then move to Social Justice Ireland. I was delighted to hear the National Women's Council describe the child care work of the Minister, Deputy Zappone, as breakthrough work. I was gobsmacked at the...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: I have read through the submission by the National Women's Council on what it thinks is required to fix it but my question is whether Ms Ní Chaithnía has a sense of whether the gap is smaller at younger ages?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: It would be very useful to see because if we find that the gender pay gap is narrowing from 70s, 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s into 20s, it would suggest a positive progression. If we see that is not happening, it would be very worrying. It might be something Ms Ní Chaithnía would take a look at. If we could find that, it would be very relevant to the next budget cycle.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: It would be a very powerful argument to be able to say it is big, it got worse during the recession and it is not better for men and women in their 20s or 30s than men or women in their 50s and 60s. It would be very powerful to be able to see that. I have started to read through the National Women's Council universal pension idea. It is expensive; it was costed at about €700...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: This is a Social Justice Ireland presentation. I got the groups mixed up. That is the €700 million?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: Just so I understand, the figure of €140 million is not a stand-alone cost? It would be necessary to do other things.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: The standard rating-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: But that would be an additional-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: So if we take that out and just take this, I do not think one can just add that in and say, therefore, that it costs less to do on its own.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: How much would it cost to do on its own?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: Let us put aside the standard rating for a second because to me that is same as saying that if we move the marginal tax rate from X to Y, one could take that up. They are not explicitly linked. Social Justice Ireland is linking them because they are pension issues but they are not-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: Sure, but they are separate issues. If the committee is meeting and doing the algebra of raising and spending money, in the context of the latter, we would have to put in €714 million. That is what I am interested in. Is there an 80-20 version of that says that if one was to do that for everybody, it is the Rolls Royce solution but is too expensive on its own but that a number of...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: I will finish with the National Women's Council of Ireland. This is an open question. The committee is looking at a full-year budget for the first time. In terms of gender equality, be it in respect of opportunity, retirement age and the pay gap - the entire gamut of gender equality - does the council have a top three list of items it believes the committee should recommend to the...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: Child care would be a budgetary measure as opposed to equality budgeting.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: I read through Social Justice Ireland's submissions, which refer to tax credit refunds and so forth. What is the group's opinion on the concern about taking people out of the tax net? It is not a smart thing to do. There are other ways of helping. It is not about less support. My belief, rightly or wrongly, is that if people are paying taxes, it is empowering. They feel that they have a...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: The witnesses can answer however they like.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: I am sorry to cut across Dr. Healy, but those categories are rather wide - public services and infrastructure.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: Does Dr. Healy have-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: National Women's Council and Social Justice Ireland (30 Nov 2016)
Stephen Donnelly: They will make sense to me. I understand Social Justice Ireland's documentation and the context. I have all the background and I know Social Justice Ireland's five priorities.