Results 2,961-2,980 of 12,629 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: I will follow on a point made by Deputy Brady in regard to the abolition of the bereavement grant. The Minister mentioned that a figure of €5 million was paid out last year in exceptional needs payments. Where does the provision for exceptional needs payments appear in the budgetary figures? Is it part of the supplementary welfare allowance?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: I see that now.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: According to the figures in chart 11, the allocation for other working age income supports is down by 10% for 2017.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: If one looks at chart 11 in the documentation submitted to members, A11 - other working age income supports. The reduction is €4.25 million, or 10%.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Will the Department supply figures for that item of expenditure since the abolition of the bereavement grant? Is that possible? The reason I ask is that when we raised the abolition of the bereavement grant initially with the Minister's predecessor, Deputy Burton, she said people would be taken care of from the exceptional needs fund. It was my experience at constituency level that even...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Rents keep going up but the figure keeps going down. Is that due to the transition to HAP?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Do we have any figures for it? What Department provides the assistance for housing assistance payments?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister referred to maternity benefits and I thank him for his advice regarding online applications. I am still not clear why many people are not yet in a position to apply online. I am still a bit unclear about how a glitch seems to have developed in the ordinary system by means of which people make written applications. It is not clear from the Minister's reply. Perhaps he will...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Is it €2.4 million?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Working age employment supports is where we should be discussing JobPath. As I understand it, JobPath is an aid to employment. It is an employment support. Where exactly is it accounted for in chart 15? Community employment schemes, rural social schemes and all the other aids to employment are here but which refers to JobPath? We have JobsPlus and we have the wage subsidy scheme.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: To make a general point on this section of the Estimates, as the Minister said in his opening statement, an awful lot of the payments in social protection are demand-led. Obviously, if someone fulfils the qualifications, one gets a number and multiplies the number by the rate and that is straightforward. This section is one of the smaller items of expenditure, only about 5%, but that is...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: In his opening statement, the Minister mentioned he expected an increase in the number of recipients of carer's allowance. I ask him to give us details on that. Regarding the metrics, the target is to have a decision on disability allowance within 12 weeks. Only 73% of claims are being decided within 12 weeks. People can experience great hardship waiting for disability allowance. They...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: What will that bring the total figure to?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: I understand that.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (18 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: I was looking at the total allocation for social protection for 2017 and it is €19.854 billion. I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister on the amount of that allocation which related to fraud and the figure of €41 million was provided. I have done a quick calculation and determined that €41 million is one fifth of 1% of the total social welfare budget. It...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: As the Taoiseach will be aware, there are many Private Members' Bills from all sides of the House backed up and not being discussed. Many will never get to see the light of day. In view of that, could the Taoiseach explain why a Private Members' Bill in the name of myself and Deputy Mary Butler has been allocated two hours tomorrow afternoon when there is a similar Bill in the name of...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: Can I suggest to the Ceann Comhairle that we use the time more constructively to discuss some other thing that otherwise would not be discussed?

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: The people who were selecting will have known that the other Bill had gone to Committee Stage anyway.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (16 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: 235. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that rents in Limerick city have risen substantially since legislation was introduced to cap rents in certain areas; if he will consider extending the rent cap to the Limerick area in view of the recent rent increases in Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (16 May 2017)

Willie O'Dea: 244. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when arrears will issue regarding an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22687/17]