Results 20,721-20,740 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: The Minister is missing the point.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: If the person had a natural child, he would receive such an income.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: It cannot. The definition prevents this.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: What should people do? Should they begin to save the money they will receive for the next two years?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: My point still stands. People are losing out on nine months' worth of payments.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I am disappointed with the Minister's response. On the issue of setting targets or benchmarks, will the Minister state how, in the absence of setting benchmarks, the adequacy of social welfare payments will be assessed? The Minister might also respond to a number of the issues I raised earlier, in particular, the position in respect of part-time workers. While acknowledging the so-called...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: No, I was not. There are three issues outstanding to which the Minister did not respond.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I move amendment No. 4a: In page 6, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "4.—Section 312 of the Principal Act (as amended by section 18 of the Act of 2008) is deleted and the following substituted therefor: '312.—Where a person is dissatisfied with the determination of an appeal by the person under section 323 in relation to a claim under section 196, 197 or 198, the question...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Thank you. This amendment arises out of Committee Stage and I understand all Members received representations from FLAC in respect of it. FLAC is concerned about the operation of the rent supplement and the mortgage interest supplement especially as the current appeal procedure is overly cumbersome and can result in lengthy delays. It is a three-stage appeal system whereby if a person...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: One gets the recommendation one pays for. Throughout the debate, the Minister has sought to distort reality. Under no circumstances can it be said that the CPA can continue or improve its work if it is subsumed into the Department. The critical aspect of the CPA is its courage and freedom to speak out, as it is an independent body. It was enabled to be a voice for those who do not...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I support the amendment. The Minister has for many years been vocal when it suits in regard to fraud within the Department of Social and Family Affairs. I acknowledge progress has been made in this area in recent times. However, I believe more work needs to be done in this regard. For that reason, I support the amendment.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: It is unsatisfactory that Members cannot table amendments because of this rule. It means we are left with no option but to find a convoluted way around the issue and to go into detail about seeking reports and all of that. I raise this issue because of a concern I have on foot of the Minister indicating in her budget speech that she would cut payments to part-time workers.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Perhaps the Chair can advise us on how we might deal with a situation such as this. The Minister indicated in her budget speech that she would introduce regulations effectively to deny part-time workers about €44 in benefit. What mechanism is open to us to deal with that through the legislation, given that it is not part of the legislation? We need a mechanism to allow Members to...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I ask for the Chair's advice on this matter, which involves an real issue of concern. The Minister signalled her intention to do something by way of regulation and we have no option to voice our concern about that or to register our opposition to it. How else can we do that other than by seeking a mechanism which would prevent the Minister from doing that?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: We will have an opportunity then later to vote against——-

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I put it to the Chair that in normal circumstances where we oppose a measure in a Bill, we have an opportunity at least to vote against it, but in this case the Minister signalled her intention to cut benefits for part-time workers by way of regulation and we have no option but to propose an amendment which would prevent her from doing that. That is our only way of registering our objection...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: That is unfortunate.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, lines 11 to 16, to delete all words from and including ", TO PROVIDE" in line 11 down to and including "1986" in line 16. The Labour Party strongly opposes the proposal to abolish the Combat Poverty Agency. We have discussed this on previous occasions. It is incredible that the first agency to be the target of cuts should be the Combat Poverty Agency, a...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: They do not.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (3 Dec 2008)

Róisín Shortall: The Minister's comments are cynical in the extreme. She is misleading the House and there are no two ways about that. She says she is looking at how the work of the Combat Poverty Agency can continue, but that is not what the Bill is about. The Minister should have the courage to say honestly that this is about abolishing the agency because it has been a thorn in her side and she does not...