Results 7,841-7,860 of 12,637 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Order of Business (9 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: There is a commitment in the programme for Government to review the provision for people with disabilities. It states specifically that as part of the review the Government will move a proportion of public spending to a personal budget model in order that people with disabilities and their families will have the flexibility to make choices that best suit their needs. I agree with the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility (9 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 99. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will reconsider the method by which casual workers are means assessed for receipt of jobseeker's payments, that is, where a person can lose social welfare entitlement for a full day when working only for one or two hours of that day, thus acting as a deterrent to those wishing to return to work; if she will consider permitting a jobseeker...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Live Register Data (15 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 133. To ask the Taoiseach the number of persons who signed off the live register in 2013; the number of persons who signed off the live register in the first three months of 2014; if he will provide a breakdown of the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17871/14]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Unemployment Data (15 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 139. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide a regional break down, as per the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, of the number of persons aged 16 to 25 years who are not currently engaged in employment, education or training; the percentage of the population between 16 and 25 years that this represents; if he will provide in tabular form the primary status education,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service (15 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 361. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will set out in tabular form the total number of persons in financial difficulty who have benefited from the Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service in each month since it was established; the total number of practitioners who have signed up to the scheme to provide advice under the scheme; her views on whether the €250...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Public Procurement Regulations (15 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 362. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the public procurement criteria used when tenders are issued by her Department; if there is a restriction on the turnover of companies who can submit to tender for her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17873/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Motorised Transport Grant Scheme Closure (15 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 602. To ask the Minister for Health the scheme that has been put in place to support those who previously depended upon the motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17619/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 1. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will contact persons who have been refused domiciliary care allowance for the past two years in view of the decision of the High Court of 1 April 2014 that found serious flaws in her Department's handling of such applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17793/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: This question arises out of the review conducted by the Department of eligibility for domiciliary care allowance and a decision by the High Court on 1 April which overruled a decision of the Department to refuse domiciliary care allowance.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: This decision was on medical eligibility. The Minister will be aware that the High Court was scathing about what it referred to as the Department's disdainful mindset to the evidence of long-term experts, all of whom had seen the child in question, and condemned the fact that despite this evidence, the Department insisted on making its decision based on the desk top review done by its...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Minister for answering a question I did not ask. I am aware of the review in regard to domiciliary care allowance but I asked her about other health-related entitlements where the decision on medical eligibility is taken in exactly the same flawed way which the High Court condemned in its decision on 1 April. As the Minister said, a review has taken place, parents are more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: It is very significant now. It takes six months for appeals.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 4. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons under the age of 26 years now in receipt of reduced jobseeker's allowance; if this change has reduced the number of persons unemployed under the age of 26 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17794/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I am sorry that the question is somewhat ambiguously drafted. I will explain what I am trying to ascertain. It relates to the substantial reduction in social welfare payments to people under the age of 26 on the basis that they should be encouraged to apply for jobs or training places. I am trying to ascertain how successful the change has been.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Minister for the history lesson, but let me elaborate on her knowledge of history. Under the old scheme as introduced by the previous Government, if somebody was unable to access a training or education place, his or her social welfare was not reduced; now it is automatically reduced and that is the fundamental difference. There were many people under the age of 26 who could...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: The difficulty is that the budget change was presented as a measure whereby if a person under the age of 26 could not get a job there would be a place in training or education readily available which he or she could avail of and get an increased allowance, 60% more in most cases. However, there are not enough training or education places for the young unemployed. By the Minister's admission...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: No, I did not.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: On a point of order, we introduced an entirely different measure.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I do not want the Minister to mislead the House. We introduced an entirely different measure whereby if one could not access a course one's social welfare did not reduce.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Jobseeker's Allowance Payments (16 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Yesterday somebody said the Labour Party is reduced to lying openly in the House.