Results 10,941-10,960 of 19,749 for speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: This is one of the provisions in this Bill that is highly technical. Given the shortness of time, I have not managed to get my head around its implications in the two days since it was published. By the looks of it, other people have not managed to either. I received an e-mail from the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament which has concerns. It was advised that it was a technical measure....

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I move amendment No. 19:In page 14, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:“(c) the value of any credited contributions assigned to an injured person as a result of the personal injury up to the date of the issuing of a statement of the recoverable benefits.”.I will try to be brief but I have tabled several amendments and I want to raise some of my concerns about this...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: This is another retrograde step. I opposed the change to the State transition pension at the time because it was not logical and forced pensioners of 65 years to apply for the jobseeker's allowance and all that entails. While the Minister announced that some of the requirements attaching to the jobseeker's allowance will no longer apply to those aged over 62 years, which is a welcome step,...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The Minister is saying that people will be locked into a situation. I have demonstrated that the new system is not working. The Government's solutions have not worked to date. If in a year's time the Minister can show that they are working, then perhaps one could consider it. As with the unemployment trap the Minister mentioned, will she come in here next year and propose getting rid of...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: That submission by FLAC had a very interesting quote from the programme for Government 2011-2016, which noted that "making greater use of mortgage interest supplement to support families who cannot meet their mortgage payments ... [is a] better and cheaper option than paying rent supplement after a family loses their home". The Minister has just taken away one of the supports available to...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I tabled two amendments dealing with section 9 but they come under section 10 for some reason. They are amendments Nos. 15 and 16 but they relate to section 9. This provision is discriminatory. The Government is adding to what the Fianna Fáil Administration did in the 2010 budget. I recall members of the Minister's party, which was in opposition at the time, leaping up and down and...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I heard Deputy Boyd Barrett echo a point made by other Members about the cradle to the grave. In fact, the cuts extend from the womb to the tomb, because they also encompass those cuts to maternity benefit with which Members dealt earlier. This particular measure is one of the saddest cuts with which any government could come up. It targets those who are bereaved, for whom some relief had...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I do not know whether it was an order of the House which decided how much time each of us will get, but even though it is seven minutes, I will try to be brief. This section deals with the injury benefit and Deputy Creighton's interesting proposal does not relate to the specifics of this section, but is an insertion of a different issue altogether. We have already had a very brief...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I support the amendment, even though I oppose this section as a whole, because the amendment at least will capture those who are pregnant and planning their maternity leave and possibly their unpaid leave thereafter. People make those assumptions, and justifiably so, because when one pays tax or PSRI one has some expectation that there will not be a substantial change in one's lifetime. As...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: And the Minister took another six from them.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The Minister is shouting.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: We are not dealing with pensions.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: In the same vein, I tabled an amendment to ensure that any PRSI levied in the manner proposed would be reckonable for benefits. While I do not intend to criticise in any way the Ceann Comhairle, as he must work within the rules, the system for accepting or rejecting amendments is bizarre. I have suggested that Dáil reform should allow Deputies to table amendments which may involve a...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: To conclude on section 3, various people have expressed concern that those who are to come within the scope of PRSI will not have PRSI entitlements extended to them. I am in favour of extending PRSI to all incomes, provided the benefits of the social insurance system are also extended. Section 4 deals with illness benefit. As I indicated yesterday, illness and injury benefits are being...

Sittings and Business of Dáil: Motion (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: It is not agreed. I wish to make a quick point. This is not the way to do business. Introducing a time motion at this late stage, even though it may have been agreed by the Whips, is not acceptable. We are confined in the number of hours that we are supposed to squeeze in all of the amendments and discussions on Committee and Report Stages despite a promise by the Government that it would...

Sittings and Business of Dáil: Motion (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I wish to set the record straight. I was stuck in this Chamber discussing the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill because the Government Chief Whip scheduled the Whips meeting at a time when the debate was already under way. I also said that I did not object to the time motion in itself. The difficulty is the fact that we are limited in time tomorrow. I call on the Minister of State, Deputy...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The Minister needs to heckle.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Another heckler.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Two hecklers from the Labour Party. Very good.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I am aware of it. It is a long transition arrangement because she is kicking the Scandinavian model of child care to touch.