Results 181-200 of 27,996 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Cathaoirleach is going so fast through the sections that I am losing myself. I welcome the extension back to nine months. It was originally proposed to claw some of this back by going to six months for jobseeker's benefit. I welcome the fact it has been left at nine months, but I reiterate my concern that for those who do not get employment within the nine months there is a second...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It would be complex enough, would it not? The Minister has to draw the line somewhere.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, but there will be a line drawn somewhere.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Could the secretariat give us a copy of those relevant sections of the Act-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: -----to which the Minister is referring.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, but obviously, that does not apply today to as many people as this is going to apply to. In other words, this has to become administratively possible in a fairly simple form for people who are going to qualify and administratively possible for people who are not going to qualify because, obviously, there will be quite a few people. It is that fine line that is going to cause the grief....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will put it this way; nobody has ever come to me and cited that law. I know there are going to be plenty of people coming to me on this one. That is the difference. Money is involved. There is going to be a cut-off point and there are going to be judgments involved. When we are dealing with something that is black and white, such having contributions and whatever, it is much easier....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have one final question. Let us say a person qualifies. In the old days, if people qualified for a widow's pension, the way they lost that was if they got married. Now, presumably, they equally lose it if they become a cohabitant again. These are the kinds of blurred lines.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I accept that, but I am saying that these are the kinds of blurred lines that in my view exist around the definition of what is a new cohabitant or whatever. I would be interested in those definitions. I foresee that will be a challenge when it is not something very finite. Marriage is a legal contract, so it is very definable. In this case, however, I am interested to see where the lines...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We on this side of the table in this committee know what, in our view, needs to be done, and we set that out in our report. I refer to direct political action. We need to provide the accommodation. The vast majority of it will have to be provided by local authorities on behalf of the State. There are enough recommendations on Travellers to fill Leinster House. I am not really that...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Is it correct to say that, in general, the IHREC takes law cases if there is discrimination or an infringement of the law in regard to the various characteristics? Could Ms Keatinge tell us how many cases are on hand at the moment in relation to discrimination in accommodation or otherwise, where being a Traveller is an element, even if that is not the main facet of the case being taken?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: How many? Is it more than 100 cases?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Would it be possible to get data on the number of cases in hand?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: My experience is that if an official agency threatens legal action bodies tend to move, whatever about a private individual like a pub. If you take a case against a local authority, it is my experience in general that Departments that are well run try to minimise the number of cases that go to the Ombudsman and that would result in legal letters, not to mind legal action. They move very...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (13 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Agreed.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: For a long time, as the Minister for Social Protection is aware, I have been making a case for the reform of the means testing of social welfare payments and how the system operates. Many of the provisions in that regard date back a long time and a lot of the disregards have not changed over time, although some have. I did very much welcome the setting up by the Minister of a review of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Single Means Test and Experience of Universal Credit System in the United Kingdom: Discussion (12 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I listened with great interest to what the witnesses have had to say. We must start making choices. Regarding what Dr. Brewer has said, a theoretical simple system might look very attractive but my first question is, if it was decided to go to universal credit or some system of universal payment, how long would it take to get there? Second, when the system was introduced, from what I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Single Means Test and Experience of Universal Credit System in the United Kingdom: Discussion (12 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Something I notice about social welfare theory is that there seems to be paranoia about how, if there is not an instant change in the system, someone might get a payment despite an increase in income. The working family payment works on a different principle. It takes someone’s income from last year. He or she can go off to work, earn whatever he or she wants and still get the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Single Means Test and Experience of Universal Credit System in the United Kingdom: Discussion (12 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Apologies, I have one final question.