Results 2,401-2,420 of 7,652 for speaker:Joanna Tuffy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: 2014 Pre-Budget Submission: Department of Education and Skills (17 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: When the Minister makes his decisions with the Cabinet on where the savings might be found, what broad principles would he take into account? In social welfare there has been an understood principle over the past few years that the weekly core social welfare payments would not be cut. Is there any similar broad principle on what the Minister proposes to do? What saving options identified...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: 2014 Pre-Budget Submission: Department of Education and Skills (17 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I welcome the delegation from the Department of Education and Skills, headed by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. He is accompanied by the Minister of State with responsibility for training and skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon. The Ministers' officials are also joining us. I ask members and guests to turn off their mobile telephones. On 13 June 2013, the...

Private Members' Business - Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Private Members]: Second Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I am in favour of a separate Garda authority and of separating the roles of the Garda Commissioner and the Minister. In other words, I am in favour of the Bill in principle. We need more transparency, accountability and openness concerning the Garda Síochána. That also goes for all authorities in all walks of life. Everybody is talking about the need for reform but much of what...

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I understand the concerns of Deputies who have raised this issue and I have thought about it but I have read information about what happens in other countries. It has been stated they have time limits. While the UK or the Netherlands, for example, have time limits, they have much more liberal regimes than what is proposed under this legislation. Their time limits apply to the more liberal...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (11 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: 242. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding plans for the land at Cherry Orchard Hospital, Ballyfermot, between the drug treatment centre and the houses in Whitethorn Estate; if there will be any new planting of trees or erection of a wall to protect the privacy of the residents following the felling of the existing trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34062/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Yet a letter is important in the interests of accountability. We are holding the Minister and the Department to account when we raise these parliamentary questions. Getting a reply in writing for a constituent is important in that respect. The parliamentary question is an important tool in the Parliament. Neither should it be abused.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Yes, I agree. Has the Minister any other concluding remarks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: On behalf of the members I thank the Minister for attending the committee. This has been the second meeting about the budget with the Minister. We also have had detailed briefings from her Department. I also want to thank the committee secretariat for its work on the briefing. Could the committee have a briefing about all schemes targeted at young people? This is to inform the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I thank members for a good meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: The people who want to register for credits in order to be eligible for JobBridge went to social welfare offices and the personnel seemed to have no idea that they could register. That is a definite problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Those people would receive the pension under the means test. Those who would not worked, yet they do not qualify for the pension because of the issues that have been raised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Some of my constituents who are older women had expected to receive a certain pension payment but, because of the new rules, have found they are getting a lesser amount. They could lose, for example, €30 per week. While I acknowledge the Minister has indicated this was announced many years ago, those people did not see it coming and were very put out about it. I refer to the fact...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Are there any further questions on pensions or social welfare expenditure on pensions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Does the Senator have questions on this particular issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: That is a good idea.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: What payment will this be?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Which Department is responsible? We could write to it as a committee in this regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Members might want to move on to deal with the programmes. We might not be able to have questions on all of them because we have done a lot of work on the general part already. I will call Deputy Butler and then I have a question on the pensions programme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: We received a letter from the Minister's Department stating that the report on the entitlements of self-employed people in terms of social protection payments is on her desk and that she is considering it. As a committee we would be anxious to see that report and perhaps make recommendations on it. Will that be available soon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Consultation Process: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (10 Jul 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Regarding the pensions programme, could the Minister give us a figure for the money saved or anticipated to be saved this year from the changes to social welfare pensions in terms of the number of contributions a person has to make, the bands and so on? How much money has been saved as a result of those changes? Various changes were made, one of which was the number of stamps a person had...