Results 3,021-3,040 of 8,245 for speaker:Bríd Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: -----has been decided on by three Senators who are not elected by means of a popular vote of the people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It is outrageous that this has been allowed to happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It is fair. It is absolutely fair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: We are in a procedural cul-de-sac.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It is anti-democratic.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I am talking about the issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I have no problem with the gentlemen involved.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I am talking about the issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Chair does not even know the procedure properly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It is shocking.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Or in limbo.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Has a Bill ever been sent into limbo in this manner previously?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: There is no report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It seems that there is utter confusion. Everyone has a different story, regardless of how experienced or inexperienced he or she is. I understand from a principal officer who phoned me several times yesterday that he will prepare a different kind of report, which will be much more slimmed down and which will contain different language. In that report, different i's will be dotted and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 43. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the action she plans to take to deal with backlogs in applications for social welfare schemes, including carer's allowance, and appeals to decisions taken by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53444/18]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I ask the Minister to outline to the House the action being taken by her Department to deal with backlogs of applications and appeals for social protection schemes, including carer's allowance and domiciliary care allowance. I have information on backlogs in the Department that was given to another Deputy in June of this year and my question follows on from that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Deputies across this House will tell the Minister of numerous constituents who have been waiting for months for a decision on an appeal. Other Deputies and I can tell the Minister of numerous clients who wait for months for decisions on appeals. The high level of initial refusals that are then forced to go into appeal is interesting. It is also interesting that the Department never informed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It may sound like figures but those are people suffering from financial hardship.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Minister's angry tone at my questions indicates a certain defensiveness. My point about the jobseekers is the rate at which penalties are soaring, from 63 on JobPath in 2015 to 5,681 in 2018. I get my figures from the Minister's Department. The figure for 2017 for the number of disallowed carer's applications is 8,599. On appeal, 1,270 were allowed. That is quite high. It means that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I do not mind what tone the Minister uses.