Results 7,961-7,980 of 32,916 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: 229. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the recent statement by an organisation (details supplied) that vulnerable children are being left in neglectful homes until they are harmed due to the fact social workers are not using their powers properly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52490/17]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: 230. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the recent statement by the chief executive of Tusla that supervision orders are not being used due to the fact the legislation is inadequate and does not give social workers sufficient powers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52491/17]

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Will there be pearls of wisdom in the afternoon?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I will be in a position to come back on that when I read it in detail.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: That would be better.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: The bigger issues are that in the voluntary agreement, it was agreed that buildings would be handed over. We noticed that they have not been handed over but on top of that, when they are in the process of being handed over, conditions are attached. I thought these buildings were being handed over to the State or some agent of the State full stop, but it is not quite that simple. We need to...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: We were to receive correspondence in respect of the draft report and the contact.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: The Deloitte report.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: There was toing and froing in regard to the report. Did we get it?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: There must have been an awful lot of it.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Cuirim fáilte roimh na finnéithe. Déanaim comhghairdeas leo. Don chéad uair riamh tá cothromaíocht inscne i gceist maidir le mná a bheith ós ár gcomhair. Tá éacht déanta acu. I was impressed with Mr. McKeon's opening statement. I was about to congratulate him until he started to talk about Turas Nua and Seetec. Mr. McKeon's...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: One point that jumps out at me in looking at all of this is that the so-called free market is not free at all. Government and taxpayers' money backs up the free market all the time in helping employers to employ people and so on. Is that not right? A substantial amount of the budget goes to the so-called free market. Certainly, it is not free and it is certainly functioning on the basis...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: It is utterly free in the area of housing and the rent supplement. I will come back to that presently. It is utterly free in the narrative of each Government. However, the reality is that the market could not function without taxpayers' money one way or another in terms of low wages, where the Government steps in and so on. Is that not right? It is important to put it in perspective.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I do not know whether society is based on the free market but the free market has been imposed on society at a great cost. Eight people are dead since August. We are going to start now. Those are my compliments. I thank Mr. McKeon for the contact number for Deputies. My experience and that of my office is not that we get our own way but that we are treated with politeness, speed and...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I will stop the witness there because I have heard that. I have heard Mr. McKeon say that and I do not want it repeated as a stock answer. I know that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has a view. I am guided by what Údarás na Gaeltachta has told us publically, by our experience on the ground and by the advice of the co-operative movement, which visited...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. McKeon can speak about one or two cases but what I am highlighting is not my personal view. I am highlighting the views of the co-operative movement that came before the committee and I am highlighting the view of Údarás na Gaeltachta. At the very least, I ask that the Department sit down with these organisations and ask them what is going on and what difficulties they are...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. McKeon's Department has not done this. In his opening statement, he made a point that I agree with and for which I respect him. He said the Department "recognise[d] the value of non-market activity". He gave examples such as caring and home-making. I would give the example of these schemes and the community employment schemes. This society could not function without it. The reason I...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that it is the process of writing to the Department.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I refer to the co-operatives also. I am using the English word. Comharchumainn agus eagraíochtaí atá pobalbhunaithe. Bhí Cathy Ní Ghoill anseo faoi dhó ag cur in iúl dúinn chomh deacair agus atá sé.