Results 281-300 of 6,185 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am sure this is not the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond's fault, but it was communicated to me that he would take it.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I was specifically told that he would be taken the Topical Issue I was raising.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I may take it tomorrow so.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Minister. Has the decision by the chief appeals officer to review that decision been conveyed to the applicant, Mr. McGranaghan? I was not aware of that fact. Is it a recent development? In principle, it is vitally important that the Minister of the day is not setting aside appeals that are grounded in a process. It is important due process happens and so on. There is an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I may have to return to this matter. When was that decision to review arrived at? When did the review begin? This is the first I am aware of it. Where there are procedures, it is important the Minister cannot be deciding on 2 million or 20 million or however many cases or applications-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Exactly. It is important the processes work and if they are not working that there is some mechanism to ensure they work. Obviously, when an appeal is found on facts which turn out not to be facts or to be fabricated, misrepresented or whatever, the decision of such an appeal has a questionable basis and it is important we have a mechanism to address that. I will have to consider the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Are there only a few minutes remaining?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Very well. I will skip to Question No. 4. I may return to Question No. 3 another day.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 4. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department or the Social Welfare Appeals Office make use of test or sample cases when making decisions on individual applications or appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37677/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Does the Department of Social Protection use, or has it used in the past, test or sample cases when making decisions on individual applications or appeals?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister spoke about the policy as it is now. In the social welfare appeals office decision 2022476, which is dated 20 January 2023, the appeals officer states that while test cases may have been used in the past, they were used in very specific and limited circumstances. That is not terribly long ago - it is about a year and a half ago. While the Department may not currently be using...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The calculations the Minister has provided are quite considerable. What is the basis on which she is calculating the additional inflow? How much of an additional inflow would we be talking about for both the €800 million scenario and the €2 billion scenario? What is the kind of inflow that we would be looking at, according to her calculations?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding correspondence she has received in the matter of a social welfare appeals office decision (details supplied), which decision was based on information that was subsequently found to be incorrect, whether she intends to set aside the decision on this case or seek a judicial review; and if she will make a statement on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister will be familiar with this case. Mr. Matt McGranaghan is a musician. He successfully took a case to the scope section in respect of his status as being self-employed or not being self-employed. An appeal was lodged and it was successful. That found against Mr. McGranaghan, but subsequently, according to the Workplace Relations Commission, there were several examples of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Minister. I do not have a whole lot to add at this time. During the process associated with the Green Paper, I never questioned the bona fides of the Department or its officials. It included a lot of well-motivated proposals. However, some of the concerns people had were well grounded, including those reflecting challenges that have arisen in other jurisdictions. It was the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 19. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether she intends to examine a cost of disability payment; if she intends to introduce reforms to the disability payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37678/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will keep it short and sweet. We had a lot of discussion about the Green Paper and all that went with it. The Minister correctly identified that there were shortcomings in the approach outlined, however well intentioned. However, there is a cost to disability that has long been identified in various reports. We need to come back to how that can be addressed. How does the Minister now...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 17. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the terms of the widow's or widower's pension, particularly in respect of non-married or co-habiting couples, and the judgment of the Supreme Court on 22 January 2024; the expected timeline in terms of the legislative changes that are required in respect of this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37682/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister will be familiar with the issue of the widow's and widower's pension. There was a Supreme Court decision in January this year. On 18 June, the Minister said it was her intention to enact legislation before the Dáil recess and that a small amendment was required. That has not happened. I am looking for an update on the extension of the pension payment to non-married and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Sep 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A substantial number of people are affected by this. There are 150,000 cohabiting couples in the State, 75,000 of whom have children. There are a number of questions. Treoir is one organisation which is raising these issues and the questions are as yet unsettled and require clarification. I hope it will be possible to get clarification on that. I will be able to come in again in a...