Results 25,121-25,140 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I understood an implication from some of the contributions that there was no legal basis for the code of conduct.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: It is under section 117 of the Central Bank Act 1989. The Central Bank has the power to administer sanctions for a contravention of this code under subsection (3C) of the Central Bank Act 1942 and lenders are reminded that they are required to comply with this code as a matter of law. As I stated, the last major revision was effected from 1 January 2011. The code is the code of the Central...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In this case, what is in it for the lender is that the Department of Social Protection has set aside a budget of €50 million. Senator Byrne might ask what, in the overall scheme of things with banks, is a mere €50 million and I can understand that. Nonetheless, the banks are very anxious to have as much payment towards the debts of their poor unfortunate customers in mortgage difficulty...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I reiterate that one is endeavouring to bring the lender into a process whereby the lender has to make certain accommodations with the borrower. In most cases, a borrower will get into difficulty over quite a period of time and it does not tend to occur instantly. The measure is an effort to ensure that the lender engages in the process. Senator Byrne asked what expertise was available to...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I ask the Senator to bear with me. I have met the people at the coalface and I am not satisfied with the level of engagement by banks. In reply to Senator Zappone's question as to whether existing borrowers would be affected, the answer is "No". This provision applies to new entrants into the process.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Yes, it will take a longer -----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: If there was more engagement by the lenders at the very beginning of the process, it is quite likely that fewer borrowers would end up in the same level of difficulty. That is one of the problems. This legislation is only a very small part of the total picture but it is a substantial financial commitment. Following our discussion this morning, I ask what would €50 million do for...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste meet the banks quite regularly to talk to them about how they are dealing with poor, unfortunate families who are worried about keeping the roof over their head. In addition, the regulator, Mr. Elderfield, also has regular meetings. I am certain the observations of the Senators reflect their experience from meeting people in this kind of trouble, to both the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department has commenced the phased introduction of the new public services card as part of the standard authentication framework environment, SAFE programme. The introduction of the card and the associated registration process has been piloted in a number of local offices around the country, including in Tullamore, Sligo and Kings Inns in Dublin. So far, approximately 6,000 cards have...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The Department has devoted a long number of years' work into the development of this system. Biometric identity security is very well advanced. For example, members of gyms and other clubs are perfectly happy to allow their thumb print or iris print as a confirmation of identity. At this stage, our system relies on a photograph and a signature. I will come back to Senator Kelly as regards...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: One of the strange features of the Irish social welfare system is that the calculation of days goes back to when social welfare was first created. The social welfare week is based on a six-day week and Sunday is not included for calculating earnings for social welfare purposes. This goes back to the time when people often worked a half day on Saturdays and the only people who worked on...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Section 7 makes a technical adjustment to reflect current practice. It ensures that individuals on community schemes can continue to receive additional payments, such as payments for supplementary exceptional needs, once off grant payments relating to diet or rent and mortgage interest supplement. Senator Mooney asked about the review of CE schemes. Two reviews are currently under way. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am shocked to hear that there was any Member who would have fitted that description.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: As stated earlier, there is a key role for social investment in the context of Ireland's recovery and its participation in the programme with the troika. While the latter is seeking consolidation - that is, savings - in certain areas, I acknowledge that, as Senators have just stated, there is a critical role to be played in respect of social investment and the delivery of social services....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: ----community employment schemes, many of which involve a social investment and create social employment, are extremely important in the context of the delivery of local services and in respect of providing individuals with the opportunity to contribute. To use President Obama's phrase, these schemes also allow people to keep themselves "job ready" in order that, as the economy recovers and...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank all the Senators for their comments. Our discussion emphasises the breadth of the modern Department of Social Protection and the fact that unfortunately because of the crash, many people are relying on the Department for support. The critical point is if we can identify how we can continue to provide that support but that we would also make it the basis of the development of a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank all of the Senators who have contributed to the debate. I stress again that this is a work in progress. It is obvious that no one is satisfied with the outcomes in spending €1 billion on lone parents. There is general agreement that we could secure a better outcome from what is a very important investment by citizens and taxpayers. When Finland had an horrific banking crash a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012 provides for the age limit of the youngest child for receipt of the one-parent family payment to be reduced gradually to 12 years of age in 2012, ten years in 2013 and seven years in 2014. This will apply to people who are new to the lone parents system after the enactment of the legislation. For other lone...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The table which we discussed on Friday shows that in 2014 this provision will impact on new entrants in terms of children aged seven years and on existing recipients in 2015 and 2016 at the earliest and, similarly, in relation to those who became lone parents during the past year. The number of children on which this will potentially impact - we do not know if the number will be this high -...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Services north of the Border are more developed and extensive. There has been a significant expansion and development here of child care and creche places. The critical issue here is that we want to open up fresh opportunities for lone parents. As stated in the ESRI's report published last week, despite our having a significant volume of cash payments to lone parents the outcomes in terms...