Results 5,101-5,120 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister's recent Green Paper on disability allowance has been published. It envisages radical changes to the approach being taken. It is fair to say that some people have expressed concerns about the changes. I appreciate that consultation is still ongoing, but there are certainly cautionary tales from other jurisdictions that we need to be very much aware of. This question is an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As the Minister will be aware, a very large number of people will be affected by this. Some 225,000 people receive these payments, 150,000 on disability allowance and about 75,000 on the other payments. If I were to think of a single phrase that I think concerns people - the specific phrase belongs to the approach that was taken in Britain - it would be "work capability assessment". I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I think there is sometimes a lack of awareness of the partial capacity element of things and a difficulty in transitioning between invalidity and partial capacity payments. That is maybe another day's work but it might be an interim issue that could be raised. I hear the Minister say that cutting costs will not be a part of this. I will hold her to that. That is vital. It cannot be about...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 51. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the review of means tests for carer's allowance; and whether, in light of increased thresholds in 2024, flexibility can be demonstrated to those being means-tested currently. [46770/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I had criticisms of some of the elements of budget 2024 but one of the measures I welcomed was the increase in the means test thresholds for carer's allowance. Currently, I believe, however, that there is a large scale means test of people on carer's allowance happening which could lead to people being cut off who might then later qualify. Will the Minister comment on that?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This has come to my attention because a number of people have contacted me recently who are being means-tested for their carer's allowance. Naturally, some of them are worried, as they would be when they are being means-tested. Anecdotally, from speaking to a number of these people, they believe this is occurring across the board and that a very large of people are being tested, perhaps...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am not expecting the Minister to make policy on the floor of the Dáil. I ask her to take away my proposal and think about it. There are a category of people who will be cut off and whose allowance will then be restored within a period of six months. I do not believe this is necessary. The Minister may have the power to operate on either side of that by not cutting people off. That...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When will the Bill be published?

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We support the Bill but would prefer to see a price cap. That is an argument we have consistently made and will continue to make in order to provide the certainty that families and businesses require. Having said that, we welcome the Bill. We also welcome the fact that some of the things Sinn Féin outlined last year which were ruled out have now, one year on, been incorporated,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 125. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide details of her Department’s plans for a permanent so-called voucher scheme for the Deaf community under section 9 of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, in 2024; and to confirm if funding has been allocated to provide this scheme on a permanent basis from 1 January 2024. [46875/23]

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Cosúil leat féin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is a very useful engagement because it is very useful to tease these issues out. Generally, I very much accept and believe what the Department is stating in terms of the objectives here in ensuring that the low rate of people with disabilities entering into employment is increased by the provision of supports, that no one will see a reduced payment and that the objective is not cost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Before we move on, can it be said that, allowing for demographic changes, we will be looking at a broadly comparable number of people in receipt of payments in five years’ time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Mr. Hession. I will not go so far as some members and say I support this, but I will approach it with an open mind. I am listening as much as I can and will be engaging with as many people as possible. Two places where the tyre hits the ground in terms of people’s concerns are assessments and what happens if they do not engage with Intreo and other work supports. I will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That sounds like a very significant increase in the number of medical assessments. Currently, there is a gate in and there is no categorisation into what would be tier 3, so I imagine the increased number of assessments would involve considerable recruitment. Is that fair to say? Surely, the capacity to do this does not exist currently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Dr. Singh. That information is useful. To give the witnesses the opportunity to nail it down, can they categorically say that medical assessments will not be outsourced?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Dr. Singh. I will revert to my initial question. Under the Green Paper, people in level 3 "will have to engage with the Intreo Public Employment Service and take up reasonable offers of places in training and employment programmes, and take up employment opportunities that are appropriate to their capacity and circumstances." If we shortened that sentence without changing the...