Results 18,301-18,320 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: For the Minister of State to say the reason she is not prepared to support the principle of what I am talking about is that including smaller hospitals on health insurance plans would lead to health insurance policies costing more is, with all due respect, a load of rubbish. As I said this year, last year and in preceding years, we are talking about an insurer, rather than the insurance...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: It may be that the Minister of State is not prepared to listen to me. I made those points to here. As I indicated, all the other insurers cover those hospitals. How can it increase the cost if a number of hospitals with one insurer are included when every other insurer is prepared to do it? We are talking about a level playing field here. That is all I am looking for. A principle of...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: Before we move on, I just want to state that it would help immensely if we had a consolidated Act. The principal Act has been amended nearly 15 times. It is impossible for any human being to try to read through it. If it could be consolidated, it would, at least, make it easier for people to draft an amendment.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: I wish to make a few brief points on this amendment and on the Bill before us. I accept that the Minister is in a difficult position. I also accept that we need legislation, and I fully support the provisions set out in section 4. The Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act expires on 9 January and there will not be ample opportunity between now and then to debate it and I believe an extension of...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: This is the final point I will make, and I will not intervene again. The Minister will say, as the Taoiseach said to me yesterday, that the Government will listen to the advice, but it is only certain advice that it is prepared to listen to. Last week, the Ombudsman for Children said there should be a fortnightly review of the use of face masks in schools. That is being ignored by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: Apologies have been received from Deputy Paul Donnelly. Before we commence, I remind members participating remotely that they must do so from within the precincts of Leinster House. Today, we convene to continue our discussion on the recently published report of the Commission on Pensions. We are all aware that the State pension is valued by all of society and it is the bedrock of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: I thank Mr. Duggan and call Ms Feehily to speak now, please.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: I thank Ms Feehily for that detailed presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: Would Ms Feehily like to take those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh. I call Deputy Kerrane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: Before I ask Ms Feehily to come in, I ask members who are participating through Microsoft Teams to turn their cameras off and on. There seems to be a technical glitch and they are not on the screens. I call Ms Feehily.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: Ms Burke wishes to come in on some of the figures.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: We would appreciate that because the Economic and Social Research Institute, in its evidence to the committee last week, pointed out that where this has been done in other countries, it has not led to the dramatic savings that are being projected here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: With regard to Ms Feehily, the commission and all the staff who supported the commission's work, a substantial body of evidence has been produced. Regardless of what decision is taken down the road, this is significant and useful and it clearly sets out the challenges, issues and options. It starts the conversation we need to have in this country on how we address this challenge into the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: Ms Burke has partially answered my question about putting numbers on those elements. I am not expecting the commission to provide numbers today but it would be useful from a broader policy perspective, and for the role of this committee and the recommendations it will make to the Government, if we could have figures on education, childcare and the different elements to increasing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: I accept it is impossible to be accurate, but it is also the case that EU fiscal policy forces Departments to take a conservative view in the other direction. They overestimate rather than underestimate because of the way the Estimates process now works. It does not stack up that the Department of Social Protection underestimated from a conservative perspective because that would be an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2021)

Denis Naughten: I thank Mr. Duggan. I note that Deputy Kerrane wants to come in. I am sure Deputy Ó Cathasaigh will remind me that the carbon tax funds the living alone allowance. It is not coming directly out of the Vote for the Department of Social Protection budget. It is income that has been generated by people paying carbon taxes throughout the country.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bord Bia (9 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: 4. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 384 of 4 November 2021, if he will provide the Bord Bia reconciliation figure that it uses to match quality assured at slaughter with quality assured meat sold from plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60434/21]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bord Bia (9 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: In a previous reply to me, the Minister said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine does not categorise cattle slaughtering by quality assured or non-quality assured, track whether a bonus is paid to farmers or track the tonnage of quality-assured beef exported. As the Minister comes from Donegal, he will know from first-hand, as many of us do, that if something is not monitored...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bord Bia (9 Dec 2021)

Denis Naughten: In an earlier response this morning, the Minister spoke about transparency in the food chain. I have asked him a very straightforward question. We all know how oral parliamentary questions are compiled. His failure to furnish that information here clearly indicates that he is not being given that information from Bord Bia. It brings into question the whole ethos behind the marketing,...