Results 6,741-6,760 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: Obviously, I anticipated the results of the recent election when I tabled this question last week to ask the Minister of State to outline the role of the Department in tackling climate change. We saw the green wave in the local elections, which was partly due to the Government's failure to address the issue of climate change, an extremely important matter on which there must be a renewed...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: The climate change performance index, or CCPI, for 2019 ranked Ireland as the worst performing member state of the EU and among the worst performing countries in the world in tackling climate change. We have received a warning and we must now get off our behinds. That we need to change is well known across all sectors and communities, both rural and urban. In rural areas, the big question...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: A just transition policy will have to be implemented over a period for these sectors to achieve the decarbonisation, reduction in fossil fuels and so forth that the climate change objectives require. One of the recommendations in the recent report of the Joint Committee on Climate Action, which I strongly support, called for "Developing local economic diversification plans that support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Enhancement Programme Funding (29 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 41. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding under the community enhancement programme for 2019 compared to 2018; the number of additional projects that will be funded; if all funding has been allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22797/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 5. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of her plans to quantify and measure incidences of, and trends in, bogus self-employment; her plans to table new legislation to address the issue; if the proposed new legislation will be published in advance of the Dáil's summer recess; if her Department and other Departments and State agencies plan to bring...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: Does the Minister agree with the Labour Party's view that, in order to deal with bogus self-employment, robust penalties in law are required in respect of bad employers who force workers into disguised self-employment arrangements when they are, to all intents and purposes, employed? This dodgy practice deprives workers of their rights and their appropriate social welfare payments and cheats...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: The misclassification of workers as self-employed is an issue that has exercised those of us in the Labour Party and the wider trade union movement for a considerable period. It costs the State hundreds of millions of euro in lost PRSI revenue and workers are deprived of key rights and benefits, in particular the full range of social welfare benefits and employment rights under Irish and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: The 2007 code of practice contained new criteria to help determine whether a worker was an employee or a self-employed contractor. Obviously, the code is inadequate now. That initiative has not served those workers well. This is why Senator Nash's Bill adopted an holistic approach. Surely the approach taken to address the issue should be across government, with the Department of Finance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance Fund (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 14. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the status of the proposed expansion of the net eligibility for those self-employed persons who account for 14% of workers; her views on whether self-employed persons should contribute more in view of the differential between the 4% self-employed rate and the combined 14.95% for PAYE employees; and if she will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance Fund (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: I acknowledge the developments and improvements that have been made for self-employed people to date. I am one of the self-employed. They provide an important safeguard and safety net for self-employed persons. The extension of a suite of benefits to people who provide thousands of jobs throughout the State and form the backbone of many small and medium-sized enterprises is especially...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance Fund (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: The issue will have to be addressed. As someone who would benefit from it, I understand that. Employers may be looking at 14.9% and that will be something of a differential. Certainly a 10% levy could not be imposed. However, there has to be some view on how to extend the benefits. We know 6,500 individuals will benefit in November. The figures are significant and the benefits will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance Fund (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: It was about assets, as well as things that disappeared like the snow last winter. People were looking for last year's money now. God bless us, asking people to account for last year's money now is crazy. Full access will be provided to the existing range of employment supports. I know the Minister will aim for that and there will be PRSI tests and access to payment. The issue is that in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Insurance Fund (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: I am very eager to see the self-employed covered. They had an horrendous time in the recession, when this all came into focus. I was advocating for and arguing the case of the self-employed for a long time and I did not make as much progress as I had hoped. Fair play to the Minister; she grabbed this ball, on which I compliment her. I agree with the further extension of benefits to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Poverty (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 15. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of children in poverty; the steps she is taking to tackle the problem; if she has held discussions with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to address the reported capacity problem within the childcare sector which is regarded as a key driver of childhood poverty; and if she will make a statement on the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Poverty (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: Child poverty remains a significant challenge. It is clearly an impediment to many children making the progress one would anticipate and hope for them because it has an impact across a wide sphere of activities, including participation in education, health and nourishment. There is a clear obligation for us to act in an holistic and positive way at Government level to address this and, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Poverty (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: The Minister is absolutely correct that lone parents and those with disabilities are certainly vulnerable in this area. They are most susceptible to poverty of the level in question. It is appalling. We all have to adopt policies to address this issue. We all support the objective of reducing the number of children in consistent poverty by two thirds, to 37,000. There are approximately...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Poverty (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: I look forward to the publication of the national inclusion strategy and all that goes with it. The qualifying child payment was especially welcome this year. Are there plans to increase the payment in the October budget? Child benefit has not been increased in recent budgets. Are there plans to increase it? It is important that we elaborate on and set out our plans for child benefit....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Poverty (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: There is a lot of hidden poverty, though.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 40. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consideration that has been given to women, young persons and minorities earning below €20,000 as part of her plans to introduce pension auto-enrolment; if auto-enrolment for this cohort will be considered with the option to opt-out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22915/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Willie Penrose: 101. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he will take in the course of budgetary negotiations to review the cap imposed in respect of means testing for medical cards for persons over 70 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23154/19]