Results 1,301-1,320 of 12,590 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with the Minister about the need for a conversation because the number of carers will increase significantly over the next ten, 15 or 20 years. However, her reply is a little disingenuous. She has agreed to increase the number of hours from 15 to 18.5 per week, but she says that increasing the disregard would cost €117 for a single person and double that for a couple, at a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 50. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the impact on the income disregard for carer's allowance was given consideration in view of the increase in the hours permissible to work as announced as part of budget 2020; if the income disregard for carers will be revised in view of the increase in the hours they can work; and if she will make a statement on the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: This question is, more or less, along the same lines as the questions raised by Deputies John Brady and Willie Penrose. There are just a few more aspects to it into which I would like to inquire.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister is right, of course, when she states this was one of the requests made by the Carers' Association. It was to increase the number of hours carers could work without their carer's allowance being affected. Nevertheless, that proposal was not brought forward in isolation. There were a number of other proposals which we must consider in their totality. It is fair to say that when...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I am handling the question put down by my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, and hope it will not be equated to voting on his behalf.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Jobseeker's benefit and invalidity pension are now available to self-employed persons and, of course, there are contribution conditions. Is it intended that periods on farm assist payment will count as contribution years for the purposes of jobseeker's benefit and invalidity pension for the self-employed?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: For clarification, the Minister said people who were previously in receipt of the small farmer's dole because their income was not sufficient to live on would not be able to claim credits for the period in which they were receiving that dole when they applied for jobseeker's benefit, invalidity pension or a contributory old-age pension. Is that the position?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: If they are working three days per week and in receipt of social welfare benefits, that will be a credit.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister is asking questions which are way above my pay grade. The point I want to put to the Minister is that not everybody gets a fuel allowance. For example, what about somebody on jobseeker's allowance? What about a pensioner who is not living alone and, therefore, will not qualify for the living alone allowance? What about those on invalidity pension, disability allowance, single...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 42. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which her Department has calculated that an increase in the fuel allowance as announced in budget 2020 will compensate for the increase in carbon tax; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43653/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I raise this question because, to the best of my recollection, in his budget speech the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, linked the fuel allowance increases to the introduction of carbon tax. He suggested that the reason fuel allowance was being increased was to compensate people for the imposition of carbon tax. I would like the Minister to elaborate on this matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Allowance Data (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: The Taoiseach referred to various studies on this matter which threw up similar figures. I presume those are the same studies to which the Minister is referring. Is it the Government's intention to continue in this vein? I ask that because it is anticipated that there will be further increases in carbon tax between now and 2020, as laid out in the budget speech. Will the Minister confirm...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 40. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the public services card and the findings of the Data Protection Commissioner on same; if enforcement proceedings have been issued by the Data Protection Commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43652/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: My question to the Minister is more or less self-explanatory. It follows on from our discussion on this matter on the last occasion we had parliamentary questions to the Minister.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Minister for her response. Basically the position is that she has not got an enforcement notice as yet but when she gets one she will consider it. Is she saying she has not definitively made up her mind yet to contest or resist this by having recourse to the courts? Is that the position? There is no final definitive decision on that. Is the Minister aware the Data...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Card (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Is the Minister familiar with the conclusion of the Data Protection Commissioner that in some cases the public services card makes access to a service more difficult, for example, when one must artificially produce the card when identify verification was not required in the past with respect to, say, school transport appeals. Has that practice been discontinued? Would the Minister like to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 54. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps which have been taken to address waiting times for processing entitlement to essential social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43606/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Minimum Wage (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 60. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the increase in the national minimum wage will proceed on 1 January 2020 if there is a ratified Brexit withdrawal agreement in place prior to that date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43607/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 68. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details on the €2.5 million announced in budget 2020 to target specific job activation and training supports for groups that are most distant from the labour market or have challenges entering the workplace including returnships for women; the number of persons she plans to target with this initiative; and if she...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Reviews (23 Oct 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 75. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of research into funeral poverty as announced in budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43604/19]