Results 23,481-23,500 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: On several occasions we have called for the Leader of the House to arrange for the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of the Assembly in the North to address the Seanad. I want to put on the record my appreciation, as the Leader has tried to facilitate us in this matter and has written to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the issue. Since then, it is fair to say, we have...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: Can we have the timeframe for it?

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy White. This is a Bill to implement the Government's commitment to provide GP care to all children under the age of six years. Like Senator Crown, I want to see universal primary care for all citizens that is free at the point of delivery. I will not oppose the Bill. Senator Crown made the point that the Bill needs to be the start of a transparent...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 14: In page 18, to delete lines 1 and 2.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: The amendment relates to section 16, which allows for a notice of attachment to other State payments when the Department seeks to recover a passed over payment. There is a balance to be struck. In genuine cases of fraud, nobody would have difficulty with the Department taking every opportunity available to recover money obtained illegally or through fraud. The problem arises where people...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: The Minister, in fairness, has given a comprehensive response and I would agree with a lot of what she said. The problem with this new subsection, as I see it, is that it could end up being a very blunt and crude instrument because, unfortunately, there are and will be situations where some level of discretion would need to be applied. That is what is being contested here, not primarily...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: What if the person is only being held on remand and is subsequently found not guilty?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 8: In page 7, to delete lines 24 to 28.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 9: In page 7, to delete lines 31 to 36 and substitute the following: " "289A. The Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, may enter into an arrangement with An Post for the provision of services in relation to the functions conferred on the Minister by or under this Act concerning the payment of benefit or assistance.",".

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, lines 11 and 12, to delete "a payment service provider" and substitute "An Post".

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, line 15, to delete "the payment service provider" and substitute "An Post".

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 4: In page 6, to delete lines 17 to 19.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 5: In page 6, line 23, to delete "a payment service provider" and substitute "An Post".

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, lines 35 and 36, to delete "a payment service provider" and substitute "An Post".

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 7: In page 7, to delete lines 1 to 23 and substitute the following:" "(2B) Information held by the Minister for the purposes of this Act or the control of schemes administered by or on behalf of the Minister or the Department of Social Protection may be transferred by the Minister to An Post, and information held by An Post which is required for those purposes or the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for her lengthy response and take the opportunity to record my praise for the post office in winning the contract. Hopefully, post offices will benefit from it for a long number of years, not just the six. My concerns and those of my party can be dismissed cheaply by the Minister if she so wishes. That is fair enough. I am not all that interested. However, I am...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, to delete lines 7 to 9.As they amendments are similar, we have no difficulty with their being grouped. On Second Stage, we flagged the fact that we were opposed to section 3 and outlined the reasons that was the case. We indicated that we would table amendments on Committee Stage and have done so. Earlier in the year the Dáil engaged in a very...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: The Minister cannot-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: In the first instance, the Minister should not pretend to know what I think. Pensioners and other social welfare recipients are more concerned about what she has done to them than anything which my party or I might do to them.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2014)

David Cullinane: We will see about that. The reality is that Deputy Joan Burton is the Minister who reduced social welfare payments by €1.5 billion and has made the lives of many pensioners and those in receipt of lone parent's and carer's allowance a misery. I do not believe they will be at all touched by her concern for them in the context of anything I might have to say. She has engaged in a...