Results 25,361-25,380 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: You brought this in here.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: And not in Killiney?

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: No, I have never heard it before and I object to it.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: On a point of information, I object to that term and I strongly recommend to the Deputy that he withdraw a term which is derogatory of lone parents and not introduce it into the language in this country. If he has learned it in America that is fine but in my view, he should not introduce it into the language. It is derogatory of lone parents.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputies for their extremely interesting contributions. Deputies Joan Collins and Boyd Barrett correctly praised the Scandinavian model. Deputy Joan Collins referred to municipal government. To remind Deputy Boyd Barrett and others, municipal government in Scandinavia is based on a certain provision of municipal taxation. For the last year Deputies Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins,...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I have seen Deputy Boyd Barrett on the plinth and in demonstrations. He is basically opposed to any kind of taxation. His colleague in my constituency of Dublin West has spent the past 20 years opposing every form of municipal taxation, even in respect of people who have large houses and several vehicles in the driveway. I am glad to hear that certain countries provide social...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In Germany, Italy, Sweden and Norway there is a work obligation when the youngest child reaches the age of three. In Finland the work obligation starts when the youngest child reaches the age of four. In the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand the age is five, in Canada it is six and in Northern Ireland, just across the Border, it is seven. Many of us in this House would admire elements...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am trying to respond seriously to the Deputies' praise for Scandinavia. We are spending a huge amount of money on social protection. I have defended that expenditure because in a time of recession it is an important stimulus along the lines of Keynesian economics. I realise that Deputy Boyd Barrett is not a follower of Keynesian economics. He probably rejects it out of hand because he...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am not repeating it because I do not believe it should be repeated. He can read the Official Report to see what I mean. I have never heard it before. It may be a south Dublin DART expression but it is not an expression I have heard used on the north side. In 2011, people with children under the age of 18 were eligible for lone parent payments. This will continue to apply in 2012 and...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I have tabled an amendment to make clear it is being phased in. This is with regard to voluntary contributions in section 3.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: It will be phased in over a period of three years parallel to changes already made. It will affect a very small number of people, and if I remember from yesterday 68% of these are men. It mainly involves people living overseas and other specialist categories including Dáil Deputies.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Amendment No. 1 was in the name of Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Section 3 is being phased in.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, before section 3, to insert the following new section: 3.—(1) Section 24 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (1) by substituting "520 contribution weeks" for "260 contribution weeks", and (b) by inserting the following subsections after subsection (1): "(1A) In the case of a person who becomes a voluntary contributor paying contributions...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: No. It hardly relates to women at all. The percentages involved are, approximately 68% men and 32% women. There has been a widespread misconception that this will affect women more than men. However, that is not so. This relates to a person who has left paid employment but wishes to continue to make voluntary contributions. A number of those people would be abroad. Only a limited...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: No.

Job Creation (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Work on the possible involvement of private sector providers, which is very complex, especially in regard to the payment basis and avoiding dead-weight effects, is ongoing within my Department. This work will be done within the framework of the Croke Park agreement. We are examining this area in depth. One should bear in mind that there are organisations, including Rehab, that provide...

Job Creation (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I appreciate what the Deputy has said but he should bear in mind what I said. The people who have come from FÁS and the community welfare service have, in many cases, already got training experience and experience of one-to-one dealings with individuals, either in the community welfare office or the FÁS employment services. The Department also has in-house training. We must provide an...

Child Care Services (25 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In the past, income support for people of working age, including lone parents, has been passive in nature with little systematic engagement by the State with the customer. This is now changing. Long-term welfare dependency and passive income support to people of working age are not in the best interests of the recipient, of their children or of society. The best route out of poverty and...