Results 24,261-24,280 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: What did I do?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I am doing that but, unfortunately, I am being heckled by the Senator on the other side of the House. I believe there are talented young people who want to work. People in my family who are qualified nurses and teachers have had to leave to get jobs elsewhere. Some left because of what the previous Government did and left before this Government took office, but some have left recently. All...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: A number of Independent Senators, Fianna Fáil Senators, one of the Minister's former colleagues and myself all made the same point. The tone of our contributions was similar, namely, nobody wants young people to be unemployed. We want young people to be working, in education places or in training. We all made the point that the jobs are not available. There are not enough jobs,...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: The purpose of my opening statement, which the Minister mentioned, was to remind her that when Fianna Fáil first cut the dole for younger people she opposed it. She voted against it, and she was the finance spokesperson for her party at the time. When the Minister voted against that measure that Fianna Fáil introduced, did she believe that she was voting for what she saw as a lack...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: -----who voted against the measure when it was introduced by a previous Government is now proposing to cut it even more and is criticising my party for its opposition. She also said that I purport to speak for all young people. I speak for Sinn Féin and the people who vote for Sinn Féin but what I did do was quote to her questions that were put to me by the National Youth Council...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I did not mention JobBridge. The Minister has confused me with someone else.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I did not mention JobBridge.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: The Minister has not explained what I said about JobBridge.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I have asked the Minister to explain what I said about JobBridge. She has accused me of making a disparaging comment about people on JobBridge but I never mentioned the scheme.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: Please remind me of what I said. What was disparaging?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: The Minister has a nerve.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: The discussion of this section dominated many of the Second Stage contributions. Sections 9 and 10 are linked and we have tabled amendments to section 10 that also affect section 9. We will wait until we get to them. Section 9 cuts young people's jobseeker's rates. I reminded the Minister that when the previous Fianna Fáil-led Government cut dole payments for those aged under 25 in...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I agree with a number of important points that have been made by Government Senators. Senator Moloney spoke about the scheme that is run by the credit unions and by SIPTU. As someone who is a member of a trade union and a member of a credit union, I think I am well covered.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: In the context of this cut and a number of other cuts we discussed earlier, the Minister has spoken about the exceptional needs payment as an option. The problem with that, as someone mentioned earlier, is that public representatives often have to make representations to community welfare officers about exceptional needs payments. Public representatives obviously must make representations...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: We dealt with this issue when dealing with section 4 which covered very similar points. It would not be helpful for any of us to re-hash the arguments. The Minister is aware of my position and that we oppose this section.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I also made this argument on Second Stage. The bereavement grant was only a small assistance to bereaved families towards the cost of funerals. It is for workers who have a solid contributions record which goes back to a point that many of us made when we read through this Bill, that most of these cuts affect people who pay into the social insurance fund, through their pay related social...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I also spoke against this section on Second Stage and indicated that I would oppose it on Committee Stage. The Minister will be aware of my party's opposition to this measure. The latest cut to maternity benefit comes on the back of reduced maternity benefits dating from 1 July this year. As the Minister knows, they were subject to tax. The majority of maternity benefit recipients will...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I can submit the e-mails to the Minister so that she will see them. If those Senators did not get them, people may have felt they were wasting their time lobbying Government representatives. We certainly got the e-mails, however, and I can forward them to the Minister. I am sure she got them also. This is another cut that will impact on working mothers. It is wrong and I oppose it. I...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I want to make one point on this issue. As we make progress through the various sections, I am sure the Minister will refer to the position north of the Border on more than one occasion. She made the point that these rates are set in the United Kingdom. It is unfortunate that the North is still part of the United Kingdom and that these rates are set by-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

David Cullinane: I find it amazing that I can sit here and listen to Senators from the Labour Party and the Minister without interrupting them, but they do not seem to be able to show me the same respect. The point I am making is that the Assembly in the North does not have the power to change what the Minister has been talking about.