Results 8,261-8,280 of 12,637 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (25 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 267. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will implement the recommendations of her Department's An Garda Síochána working group on review of firearms and licensing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44915/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (25 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 270. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 293 of 7 October 2014 when this Deputy will receive a reply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44984/14]

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I welcome the amendment. The position is that the Minister is maintaining the income disregard at €90 whereas the original proposal was to reduce it to €75. Is that correct?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: To respond to that briefly, I am always hearing good news in regard to employment and the creation of employment. However, the good news does not appear to have reached my constituency yet, judging by the reaction I am getting from people up to this morning. I welcome the amendment and the fact that the disregard is being maintained at €90. Originally there was a much higher...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I am not quite clear about the Minister's logic. She said it is good and desirable that lone parents should be encouraged to re-enter the education system to avail of education and training in order to get more quality jobs. Once their youngest child reaches the age of seven, however, how does changing somebody from the lone parent's allowance to jobseeker's allowance encourage that?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I understand all that and I do not disagree with anything the Minister has said. I still do not understand why somebody will be more likely to seek education if they happen to be a lone parent, and if they are classified as unemployed for social welfare and means test purposes, rather than as a lone parent.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: If they are classified as a jobseeker, does that make the individual more or less likely to seek education to better his or her chances? It does not make the slightest difference, quite frankly.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: We are aware of all that, yes.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I do not disagree with that for a moment. I am still bemused at how someone being classified as a jobseeker or having an entitlement to jobseeker's allowance rather than as a lone parent means the person will be more encouraged to go back to work. It makes no sense to me. Many of the people who seek education opportunities might get a part-time job in the evening but being moved to the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I disagree with the interpretation. I understand the rule that members cannot introduce amendments that impose a potential charge on the Exchequer. The Government is elected to spend public money and if the Opposition was given the power to spend public money, God only knows where it would stop. However, we are carrying this to extremes. Presumably the interpretation came from the Bills...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I am concerned about the reduction brought about by the previous Government and equally concerned by the reductions brought about by this Government. The Government is trumpeting that it has put €196 million back into social welfare but it has taken out almost €2 billion. The Tánaiste outlined the cuts made by the previous Government yet not one of them, with the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I did not.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I indicated it was almost €2 billion.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, but the Minister should answer for her Government's actions and the promises it broke-----

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: -----on child benefit and every other issue.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: We did not get much help from the Labour Party.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister might be happy but the people are not.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister will have a hell of a lot to apologise for when she has to face the people.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I will apologise when I hear the Minister apologise for the promises that were broken in a bare-faced fashion-----

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Willie O'Dea: -----and getting votes under false pretences. I will apologise when she apologises for getting those votes under false pretences in the last election. They were fake promises.