Results 18,861-18,880 of 22,424 for speaker:Finian McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Eligibility (26 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The lady concerned is currently in receipt of a disability allowance payment from my Department at a reduced rate, because of her means. Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter-alia,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (26 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 11 April 2018. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 11 July 2018. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable). I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Transport Support Scheme (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Deputy will be familiar with the background to the closure of both the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant schemes in February 2013. Since the closure of the Mobility Allowance, the Government has directed that the Health Service Executive should continue to pay an equivalent monthly payment of up to €208.50 per month to the 4,046 people in receipt of the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Support Services Provision (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I have received the Report of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets and am currently considering its recommendations. 

Written Answers — Department of Health: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: As the deputy will be aware, Ireland recently ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which came into force for Ireland on 19 April this year. The Convention, in Article 19, calls upon State parties to recognise the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and shall take effective and appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this gentleman on 2 May 2018. On 25 June 2018 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made on his DA application and the person concerned will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The lady referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 03 May 2018. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 12 July 2018. Any arrears due from 03 May 2018 to 11 July 2018 (less any overlapping social welfare payment) will issue in due course. The lady in question was notified of this decision on the 26 June 2018. I hope this clarifies the matter for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank you, Chairman, and the members of the committee for the warm welcome. It is great to be here. It is great to get out of Beaumont Hospital and be back in business. I welcome this opportunity to update members of the committee on the important work being undertaken in the Department of Justice and Equality to support the recent ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I agree with the Deputy that there is a lot more to be done. The convention covers a broad range of commitments which require substantive cultural change. Fundamental to that are the concepts of freedom, autonomy, independence and recognising the right of people with disabilities to make decisions for themselves. In this regard, I have received a report on personalised budgets, on which I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: An awful lot can be done and I can do a lot as Minister. I have been working under the radar with small businesses up and down the country in this area. There are fantastic examples of good practice in small business and in the private sector. I visited a project in Galway a year and a half ago where 101 people with some form of disability were employed by nine or ten small businesses. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government decided in January to approve the priority drafting of the stand-alone Bill on the deprivation of liberty, decoupling its provisions from the Disability Bill. The equality division is working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, OPC, to progress the remaining Committee Stage amendments, which will likely result in fewer than ten heads. The amendments are mostly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: The latest on that is that the high-level steering group, comprising senior officials from the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Health, the Mental Health Commission, the Courts Service and the director of the decision support service, which was set up in 2016 to oversee the establishment and the commissioning of the decision support service, is continuing its work. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: A great deal of work is going on. Even in recruiting the director and the assistant director, there was a period of approximately five or six months when the process was very difficult. We advertised the position and it was extremely difficult to get the right candidate. The answer to the question is that the service will not become operational before 2019.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: Are we taking all the questions together?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank Deputy Chambers for his comments. I am on the same page as him and many other colleagues regarding the UN Convention. It is the implementation that matters. As I have said before, I use the UNCRPD to strengthen my hand when talking to my colleagues in government, and right across every Department, about resources and implementation. I agree with the Deputy. As I strongly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: Can the Deputy repeat that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I have met everybody at this stage. He could have been part of a delegation or team. I do not specifically remember the name of the person. That does not mean I have not met him, because I meet HSE personnel regularly. I meet people from the Department of Health, the HSE and the National Disability Authority, NDA, on a regular basis because I think it is essential to do so. When I meet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Update on Disability Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (27 Jun 2018)

Finian McGrath: I take the Deputy's point. I am listening to what he says but I do not accept all his arguments. I am totally on top of my brief where people in the disability sector are concerned.