Results 21,481-21,500 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Pension Provisions. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: There is not much point in waiting until 2010 to notify people. It is at this point that the people who are likely to be affected by this — as the Minister stated, up to 40,000 who are likely to discover on retirement that they are not entitled to the full State pension — need to be notified so that they can take action. What advice is the Department providing to those people? Many...

Pension Provisions. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: What is the advice to them?

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 104: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people on welfare referred in 2007 under the National Employment Action Plan to FÁS; the percentage of those that were placed in employment, training or education; if he has satisfied himself that the structures are achieving the maximum potential of progressing claimants off welfare; the action he will take to...

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: In reply to the previous question the Minister said the best way out of poverty was to encourage people to get into employment. Nobody disagrees with that. The Minister also asked us to be positive about these proposals. We will be positive if the Minister plays his part in ensuring these things happen. Unfortunately, the record shows the Department and FÁS have not been very active in...

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Most OECD countries have moved towards a situation where income support Departments have been merged with employment support agencies. Does the Minister think there is a case for doing that and for merging FÁS with the Department in order to provide a seamless service? Under the proposals for lone parents, it is the Department that is in touch with the lone parent until the child is seven...

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: The placement rate is significant.

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: A declining number are placed.

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: It is a very low number.

Budgeting Advice. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: We all accept that MABS provides an excellent service. All of us, on a regular basis, refer constituents to it for support and assistance when they get into debt. However, it is not tolerable that the MABS service operates on the basis of 53 separate, independent companies around the country. For a long time, the Government has been promising to introduce legislation. There was a Bill in...

Budgeting Advice. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: What is the timescale for that?

Budgeting Advice. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: That has been going on for years.

Budgeting Advice. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I cannot understand why it is taking so long. While I accept the Minister is not very long in office, one must ask what his predecessor was doing for the past five years, from the time the Bill was scrapped in 2002. Was any work done within the Department regarding MABS? It is all very well paying lip service, saying this is a great organisation which does fantastic work, but if that work...

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: I told the Minister I believe there is a strong case for merging the income support and employment support services, which is the tendency in many OECD countries. I ask that the Minister keep an open mind in this regard and consider it for the future. Has the memorandum of understanding shared by the Department and FÁS achieved the desired outcome? The Minister stated it is under review,...

Employment Support Services. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Does the Minister accept that the only way there will be a client-centred approach is through institutional reform? The emphasis should be on clients, whether they have income support needs at a particular time, education needs or employment needs. These responsibilities should not be divided between various Departments. One need only see the institutional reform that has taken place at...

Social Welfare Benefits. (13 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: On the payment issue, on which progress has not yet been made, is the Minister committed to introducing a parental allowance which would, as proposed, be payable irrespective of whether there are one or two parents in a family or whether the parent or parents are working? If he is so committed, what is the timescale for introducing such a payment?

Written Answers — National Concert Hall: National Concert Hall (12 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 133: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall integrating the former University College Dublin site on Earlsfort Terrace; when he expects the international design competition to be put to tender; the estimated cost of the redevelopment of this site; the amount of this funding that will be supplied by the Exchequer;...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (12 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 304: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation regarding the Darfur region of Sudan; and the action his Department is taking to assist in resolving the humanitarian crisis in this region. [4634/08]

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 378: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of a local authority mortgage interest supplement in 2007; the number in receipt of private mortgage interest supplements in 2007; and the total expenditure on these schemes in 2007. [5265/08]

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (12 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 379: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of funding provided for his Department's DRIM project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5269/08]

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (12 Feb 2008)

Róisín Shortall: Question 380: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the 2007 data from the MABSIS system in relation to the number of new clients, the number and percentage of new clients on social welfare and by type of payment, the number and percentage of new clients earning a wage, client profile by tenure type, the total debt owed by new clients when they first presented to MABS with a...