Results 5,501-5,520 of 12,701 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister's response, which is obviously a script from the Department of Social Protection, is not unfamiliar because we have heard it here several times previously. I could quote it by heart. It will give no comfort whatsoever to people who will be affected by this. Everybody knows, including the Minister and her colleagues, that a number of defined benefit pension schemes will close...

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: They are unlucky not to be retired already. The Minister knows what I meant. He should address the subject

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Government has been promising to address it for two and a half years. When is it going to do something?

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: Stick to the subject and answer the question. The Minister should not be here at all on this.

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister suffered from amnesia about a certain incident when he insulted the Garda and would not take a breath test.

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I do not like it when I do not get an answer to a specific question.

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I am concerned for people in Limerick and down the country on whose behalf I am asking these questions. Address their concerns.

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: It does not matter, as I am not going to gain much by staying in the Chamber.

Topical Issue Debate: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The problems facing the pension system in this country are manyfold. Unfortunately I will only have time in the two minutes available to me to focus on one of these problems. I suspect the reason the Minister for Social Protection is not here is that less than one month ago we told her in unmistakable terms that the 30 June deadline for the trustees of defined benefit pension schemes to...

Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I read in the programme for Government, with some disbelief, a commitment to expand eligibility for the back to education allowance. In view of the fact that eligibility for this allowance has been restricted twice - the opposite of expanded - do I take it this commitment has been abandoned? I also notice there is a specific commitment to exempt from VAT service companies that export more...

Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: These are specific commitments in the programme for Government. Three budgets later, is this a case of another one biting the dust?

Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: Will the Taoiseach answer the question?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Official Engagements (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: It is in the book.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister anticipated some of what I was going to say. I do understand the complexities of transferring from the rent supplement scheme to the HAP scheme but the elephant in the room is the lack of social housing. Under whatever scheme the Minister assists people the lack of social housing is a constant. There is a gross lack of social housing at the moment. Does the Minister agree with...

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I apologise for getting the number wrong in my question, but the Minister has updated me in that regard. As was stated, this was supposed to be a short-term solution. A person who is homeless and cannot afford to rent privately is entitled to support from the Government to rent appropriate accommodation. However, even though this is supposed to be a short-term solution, currently there are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Initiatives (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: In announcing the scheme, Government set out a number of objectives. One objective is that 75,000 persons would be taken off the live register during the lifetime of the Government and that the average waiting time on the live register would be reduced from 21 to 12 months. What progress has been made to date on these objectives and how optimistic is the Minister that they will be realised?...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Initiatives (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: 58. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has satisfied herself with the progress made in advancing the pathways to work scheme in view of reported recent criticism from the European Commission, ECB and IMF in their cabinet memo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33274/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Initiatives (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister has stated this is a centrepiece of the programme for Government. It is in the interests of every person in the country, regardless of political affiliation, that it is a resounding success. The Minister stated she was satisfied with progress. The scheme has been the subject of a number of reports, almost all of which have been critical. The most recent has been the report of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I do not deny that the JobBridge programme has enjoyed some success or that the vast majority of hosts have behaved in a responsible manner. That is what they are supposed to do. However, my question was tabled to find about the minority who have sought to abuse a Government scheme funded by taxpayers' money and designed to give young people a start in life. That sort of conduct is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I accept that, but it does not justify abuse of the scheme. When a host puts itself into the market to accept interns, it must sign up to a certain agreement. The 23 organisations that have been identified thus far clearly did not adhere to the terms of that agreement. Does the Minister propose to name those organisations? I tabled a question to that effect previously and was told that...