Results 31,941-31,960 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 322. To ask the Minister for Health whether he has received reports on the evolution of the indicators in the Healthy Ireland Outcomes Framework instituted in 2018 to date; and whether the impact of Covid and the return to more normal conditions illustrates challenges for public policy in this area. [13530/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 323. To ask the Minister for Health the scale of the social prescribing initiative undertaken by the HSE in terms of resources deployed, people reached and impact of the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13531/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 324. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which the actions outlined in the Positive Ageing Strategy of 2013 were achieved; the areas where achievement fell short of expectations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13532/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care Services (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 325. To ask the Minister for Health if he has undertaken a manpower review of current and upcoming needs for care assistants who could support nursing home care or homecare; the predicted needs over the next ten years; the capacity to meet those needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13554/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Measures (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 326. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered amending health insurance legislation to encourage more insurers into the support of preventative health measures and improved management of continuing health vulnerabilities among their members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13555/24]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 343. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of connected hubs in each county which are now established; if she would consider giving these hubs an explicit mandate to promote positive ageing, particularly as a location to access information, to develop digital skills, to access trusted advisers and services, and to promote community networks supportive of positive...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (21 Mar 2024)

Richard Bruton: 344. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role that her Department plays in promoting social innovation in communities to respond to environmental and demographic pressures, particularly in counties with higher old age profiles. [13550/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I probably rank as one of the cheapest Deputies to elect. In terms of pension rights, it is probably a good saving for the State. I have been doing a bit of work for a Fine Gael policy lab that we have on positive ageing and I think it is not just an issue for older people. This is actually an issue for people of all ages as to what exactly their arrangement is. I would like to explore a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: You are saying the onus is on the employer to initiate this conversation about someone retiring at a certain age when that person thinks he or should be able to work on but his or her employer feels that is not the case. If there is diminishing productivity or whatever, then how is that conversation to be framed? You cannot just say we are changing the law and it is up to you to sort it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: No, you are saying both change that and remove the idea that 66 is the mandatory age. So you are removing the mandatory age of retirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: How is that to be managed? How is that to be framed legislatively in a way that is fair to both sides of the contract? It seems to me quite a tricky thing for an employer, and a small employer particularly, to manage a situation where that is completely gone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: The converse of that is the question of what employer will take me on when I am 60 with the prospect that I have a contract for life, effectively, if I wish to operate it. Are there unintended consequences of this? That is what I am trying to probe. I am quite sympathetic to the change, but we could end up with people who are approaching retirement age just being locked out of the jobs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: Yes, but it would become a norm almost. Most people would prefer to work on. I think a figure of 60% was given for the number of people who would prefer to work on. It will almost become the norm that there will have to be an unfair dismissal at some point. I am playing devil's advocate here. If we go down the road suggested, how do we frame the legislation in a way that would be workable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: If the witnesses can, they might send us what the Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians have done to see how they framed their legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: To clarify the point made by Ms Murphy, is she stating that the equality legislation I read out there does not apply to mandatory pension age? The way it read in the blurb sounded like there was still a right of action if someone said that a person should retire at 67 but that if the employer cannot justify that on objective grounds, a person can challenge that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 5. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has considered how the tax system might make a better contribution towards adjustment to a longer and more fruitful retirement through supporting rightsizing, early release of pension savings in certain circumstances, more flexibility in continued working from employers, better recognition of family carers and in other ways; and if he will make a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I believe the tax system can make a much better contribution to positive ageing, especially around issues such as family caring, working beyond retirement age and the rightsizing of homes. Has the Minister looked at reforms that might promote such positive outcomes?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Minister that tax is only one of the levers, but I might give him some examples. Approximately 50% of people would like to work beyond their retirement age but most of them are denied that opportunity. Fortunately, we are not among that group. That is something that could be promoted by making flexible working more amenable for employers to deliver through tax breaks. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: To take that example, if a work contract states a person can work to 66, he or she cannot take up the options the Minister is offering to work beyond 66 because the employer's contract will trump the right to take up the social welfare option. There needs to be some innovative thinking, between the Minister’s Department and the spending Departments, to come up with some workable...