Results 7,661-7,680 of 12,637 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I wish to ask the Minister a technical question on section 11 which deals with restructuring. It provides that in the event of a fund being restructured, there is a limit to the amount to which one can reduce certain people's benefits. That is dealt with in the eighth paragraph of the new section 1B. It states that the restrictions apply only to benefits payable from the scheme to or in...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: No. I am saying there are restrictions on the extent to which active pensioners' entitlements can be reduced.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: Do those restrictions also apply to deferred pensioners? The wording of the legislation seems to suggest they do not.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I move amendment No. 20:In page 15, between lines 39 and 40, to insert the following:“11. Section 50 of the Principal Act shall be amended by inserting a new subsection (1A) as follows:“(1A) The Pensions Board shall not direct the trustees of a pension scheme to reduce the benefits of current and former scheme members and/or post-retirement increases in benefits for pensioner...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I move amendment No. 23:In page 17, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:“(1E) An appeals mechanism for pensioners shall be put in place where trustees have decided upon reduced benefits for members, and such appeals mechanism shall ensure that such pensioners have not been unfairly treated in any restructuring arrangement.”,”.When people reach pension age and...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I am pressing the amendment.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The thinking behind these amendments was discussed at some length on Committee Stage, and I support them. In its wisdom, the OECD recommended a certain course of action, which is what is proposed here. I am sure it examined very carefully all of the arguments with regard to various jurisdictions, as well as the arguments specific to this country, and recommended that we do what every other...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: I wish to speak briefly in support of what Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh said. The Minister has mentioned two pension reports that preceded the OECD's report. I understand the OECD's report is very specific in recommending that this change be made. The Minister has mentioned that there are differences of scale between the economy and the economies of the United States and the United...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: On which amendment are we?

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: Amendment No. 12 in my name has been ruled out of order. In amendment No. 13 I am trying to achieve a variation of amendment No. 12. Pension schemes are infinitely various and there are differences between all of them. Even within pension schemes pensioners can be treated in different ways, for example, in the contributions they make. Some people have worked in a firm for much longer...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (18 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: 123. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that certain local Department offices are trying to actively encourage persons to avail of the service of banks instead of continuing to use their local post office (details supplied); if these offices have the authority to do this; and, if not, the steps she will take to have the practice discontinued;...

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: Did the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, mislead the House?

Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2013)

Willie O'Dea: The Government is there three years now. It is time it did something.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (15 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 409. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason behind the requirement that a person be in receipt of a jobseeker's payment for a certain amount of time before they can take part in the JobBridge national internship scheme; her views on whether this requirement prevents jobseekers from gaining the experience they need to improve their employment prospects simply because they are not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals (15 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 343. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the file regarding a domiciliary care allowance requested by the appeals office on 3 October 2013 has not as yet been provided by her Department in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55319/13]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Assets Bureau (15 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 548. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the €1 million plus sum of money seized near Castleconnell, County Limerick recently is deemed by Criminal Assets Bureau to belong to the State; if it will be allocated to organisations in Limerick dealing with the scourge of drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55331/13]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (22 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 172. To ask the Minister for Defence his plans to maintain a full compliment of regiments within the Reserve Defence Force; his plans for future recruitment drives in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3058/14]

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I welcome the Minister and her officials and thank the Minister for her presentation. I add my congratulations to the hardworking staff in the Department on the work they have been doing, particularly in respect of backlogs. There is still some work to be completed but much good work has been done and I acknowledge that. There has been much discussion about the potential burden that...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Can the Minister refer to what the forthcoming pensions legislation will contain?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection (Revised) (23 Jan 2014)

Willie O'Dea: We have been dealing with pensions and now we are dealing with the measures through which the State supports people of working age who do not have an income of their own or whose income is so inadequate that they need State support. Looking at the overall figures here, the provisional outturn for 2013 for expenditure in this area was €5.5 billion while the projected outturn for the...