Results 3,081-3,100 of 4,782 for speaker:Olwyn Enright

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I do not wish to discuss the issues to which Deputy Shortall referred because I will have the opportunity to do so in respect of later amendments. In defending certain aspects of her strategy, the Minister referred to a survey in respect of which she released a press statement earlier today. I will be obliged to examine the matter in greater detail but I accept certain of the findings,...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: They are still substantially more at risk of poverty.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: SSIAs helped people with money become better off while elderly people who were worse off remained so. That is the reality. That is what it achieved.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: And the people who could not afford to did not benefit.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: The Minister does not issue press releases on the negatives.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I support this important amendment. I read with interest the submission made by FLAC in regard to it. I tabled questions to the Minister on the issue after Committee Stage last week because there was not much concrete information on the operation of the mortgage interest supplement. One of the interesting things I discovered is that there are no statistics on the number of people who...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: My party leader has also dealt with the need for a moratorium. It is important that the Government gives it urgent consideration. At this point, people are caught in the middle with foreclosure actions already in the courts. They do not have time on their side because decisions will be taken once the actions reach the courts. The Minister spoke about the letter on the hall table and...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I move amendment No. 5: In page 7, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "(3)—The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the number of eligible persons and proportion thereof availing of the Family Income Supplement.". This amendment, which relates to the family income supplement, is one of those...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I appreciate the Minister has a report due on family income supplement, but it was due to be completed in July 2008 and it is now 3 December. When will the report be published? I am aware of the objectives of the report as a result of a reply to a parliamentary question, but I am concerned about the numbers involved. Currently, some 26,000 families are in receipt of family income...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: The Minister stated that a number of families have reasons for not applying for this supplement. She should outline such reasons to the House because it is unusual for people who are eligible for something not to apply, unless they would lose something else as a result. That is the only logical reason I can discern for such a failure to apply. I acknowledge the Department's IT systems may...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: How did the Department contact those who are not in receipt of the family income supplement to discover the reason they did not apply for it?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: That means there is a methodology within the Department to identify such people.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I still believe the system should be able to cope with it.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: While I will not press the amendment as the report is due to be published shortly, I ask the Minister to make the report available to all Members as soon as it is in her possession to enable them to examine it and discuss it adequately.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I take this opportunity of asking the Minister, following on from Deputy Morgan's point, when she first became aware of the difficulties? From anecdotal evidence and from speaking to businesses involved, we all are aware of the difficulties which existed in the defined benefit schemes. On the specific memo leaked from the Department, when did the official knowledge — if I can put it that...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: If the companies could afford to.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: We do not know where it was leaked yet.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: Has the Minister entered discussions with companies to ensure it will not happen?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: To support Deputy Shortall's amendment, I was present at the meeting and the situation was outlined by the Deputy or her colleague previously. Another Labour Deputy may have raised this at an earlier point as well. The impression we got that morning was that the legislation would now be sufficient to deal with the scenario as outlined.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: Yes.