Results 341-360 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The widower's means-tested pension was first introduced in 1997. We introduced a widowed parent's grant in December 1999, initially of €1,270 and which I increased to €2,700 this year. That is a recognition of the difficulties faced by certain people. The capital assessment arrangements of my Department have been completely changed to benefit widowers who have made contributions....

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: It is admirable for those on the other side of the House to bring up an issue and be cynical about how many people it affects.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: No. I took the opportunity of meeting the widows' association yesterday evening. We had a good meeting. To go back to statistics for a moment, only 7% of widows have children.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I had a good discussion with members of the widows' association last night. They told me what they wanted done and what needed to be changed. They recognised that the issue of widows over 66 was now being sorted out. The anomaly was dealt with in the last Social Welfare Bill. They stated, and I agree, that for widows under 66 the baseline payment is very poor. They receive €140 per week. I...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: They did but we are talking about an individual entitlement and unlike everyone else in the State, they do not pay PRSI on amounts up to €287 per week. I wish to refer to the question raised by the case of McHugh v. the Department of Social Welfare. The case was heard in the High Court in 1990. It was appealed and a decision was handed down in 1992. It was to do with a regulation made by...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The Supreme Court ruled that the 1987 regulations were ultra vires and that the Minister did not have the power to remove an entitlement to payment which is given in the primary legislation by way of secondary legislation. In addition, the court ruled that in making these regulations which took away entitlements to half-rate DB but left entitlement to half-rate UB intact, the Minister acted...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: That is all I have.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: We can have a protracted historical argument but, at the end of the day, the primary legislation was rectified to such an extent that the overlapping benefit regulation was encompassed in the Social Welfare Act 1991. I appreciate that people are making sincere comments, despite the fact that we are having some political banter about a number of things. On this occasion, I am not in a position...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I am going to be hammered now.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I did not say the Senator did so.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The only usage of the——

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: We have had a number of discussions on the indexation and methodology which determines inflation and prices. The CPI has been used extensively and it encompasses a huge number of items, not just luxury items but basic items also. There are 55,000 prices accumulated over 1,000 different items so it is a very extensive methodology and we do not have the ability to prepare for any change to be...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: There is an interdepartmental committee working on the child poverty initiative which is part of Sustaining Progress. We are looking at income maintenance as part of that. Part of the Deputy's amendment is dealt with in an ongoing way because within the Department we prepare for discussions on that kind of evaluation and policy direction. That is taking place at present. The agreed view is...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: We are looking at the numbers who would benefit from changes in means testing. At present the cost of abolishing the carer's allowance means test is estimated at €180 million. There are almost 21,000 carers in receipt of carer's allowance at a cost of €183 million and Senators will know there have been huge changes in the income disregards. For the first time, as a result of the census,...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I am not going to cross the Chairman. He was bemused that I would not do anything but I said I would and last week I provided funding from the information side for one of the report's recommendations. We will take that into consideration for the next budget. We are well within the programme for Government target for carer's allowance and carer's benefit and hopefully we will reach the target...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: ——we have a duty to deal with the issue of caring for the elderly and those with disabilities. We have done a considerable amount of work and I commend the Chairman and other members of the Committee on Social and Family Affairs for the work they have done, as I have said to the Chairman personally. While I echo some of his frustrations in the implementation of these matters, I have...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, a working group was established to examine the role refundable tax credits can play in the tax and welfare systems. This examination included the possibility of paying FIS through the tax system. Both issues are closely related since a substantial number of FIS claimants have income which comes below the tax exemption limit appropriate to their...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The habitual residence test is available in several EU member states. However, Ireland has never insisted on legal status within the EU. For example, if one wishes to work in Belgium, one must seek permission to live there and, as a consequence, one can apply for a bank account and so on. The habitual residence test will apply to all EU citizens, including ourselves, and it only applies in...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Yes.