Results 35,361-35,380 of 35,973 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am getting down to it. Schedule 2 itemises the cuts to which young people will have to adhere, the benefits that will be drastically cut. We should put those in perspective and not muddle it up in a spin of 0.4% of 1% of national debt. We should be clear on this. A young person who has worked building the Irish economy for the past year and a half and who has paid taxes and PRSI will...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I do not want to drag this out because we have spent some time on it and I take the point about competition. We would all welcome reduced prices in dental practices. The Minister mentioned this is just for a year and there will be no impact on oral hygiene for the 2 million people who can avail of the service. Why then is the subsidy being reinstated next year? The Minister has arguments...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister should acknowledge she has not repeated the answer to every question I have asked. It is disingenuous for her to say that. The Minister acknowledged the mid-term PRSI deficit next year will be astronomical and it is likely to increase with the increasing number of people on the live register, as forecast by the Government in the budget. The Government has already said there is...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I spoke on this issue earlier and during Second Stage. The attack on those under the age of 25 is the worst aspect of this legislation. When we dealt with the previous section I did not get to ask the Minister if she had obtained legal advice on this provision. I apologise in advance if she has given this information to the House. I understand that such a provision has been introduced for...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: On a point of information, if someone works for a week, would he or she not be treated differently? The Minister referred to sufficient PRSI contributions.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Will such an individual be treated differently?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: So my point is correct.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister should acknowledge that my point is correct.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I made the point about the two brothers who were working and the Minister said they would not be treated any differently because the change affects only those who have never worked. One has to have a number of contributions. I am not sure how many weeks are required. How many is it?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: In the case of two brothers who have worked for a number of months, one who is made unemployed before Christmas and one after Christmas, will the Minister acknowledge that we have treated them differently? Perhaps I am reading the legislation incorrectly. The Minister said the change only affects those who have never worked. Will she clarify that it affects people who have worked, who have...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister was irked earlier when I said she was repeating answers. The reason I am asking the same questions again is that she is not answering them. She spoke about providing incentives to go to college.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Education.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The reality is that the Minister has removed the incentive for those who want to go on to third level. Those in receipt of the back to education allowance will no longer be eligible to receive maintenance grants. The maintenance grant for those who are eligible has been cut by 5%. We need to be clear about this. I asked the Minister a question to try to cut through all the spin about us...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: That is not what the Minister said. She said this only affected those who had never worked. That is okay because all of us make mistakes. I made one when I spoke about the circumstances of the 25 year old. People need to have made contributions for two years. They may have worked for a year and a half but will still be treated in this way. There will still be that anomaly between...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I asked a question on the legal evidence, as the Minister referred to legal advice on the scheme introduced for those aged 18 and 19. Have we got legal advice on this? In my view we are discriminating against those under 25 so have we advice that this is completely constitutional? This is an example of ageism. The Minister's answer is technically correct but it still does not bring about...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: This is a clear question.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I will keep asking the question until I get a simple answer. It is a "Yes" or "No" answer. Was legal advice sought on this issue of treating those under 25 differently from those 25 and over?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Of course it is relevant. If this legislation is tested-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: No.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Of course it is relevant. If the legislation we are attempting to pass could be found unconstitutional, it would-----