Results 381-400 of 839 for speaker:Michael Kennedy

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: We must recognise that fraud is going on and we must get to grips with it. Last year there were more than 600,000 claims reviewed by inspectors. We must continue that programme.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: For fraud we might do what was done in the insurance business, where newspaper and television advertisements were taken out that referred to fraudsters putting their hands in people's pockets and stealing their money.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: Welfare fraud must be tackled, people expect it. Those who are genuinely in need of benefit should have those extra resources. I welcome the work done by the officers of the Department. The new photographic identity card will go a long way to eliminate fraud, as will the new provision whereby welfare officers can stop cars and question the occupants.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: Is the Deputy suggesting we should not check?

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: He wants fraud stopped but not the means to detect it. That shows how ludicrous his comments are. Allowing welfare officers to check people is necessary.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: I equally commend the Minister for Social and Family Affairs for the employer PRSI incentive. Allowing employers who take someone on who has been unemployed for six months to have a PRSI deduction is a welcome measure. It is good for the person who gets a job and good for business people in these hard times. It will help to sustain that person by upskilling him and getting him back into...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: What we are doing in this Bill, retaining full benefits for senior citizens, making a 10% reduction across the board in child benefit and reducing social welfare benefits, is reasonable. As resources come back to where we hope they will be in the next year, Fianna Fáil will be to the forefront in increasing welfare benefits as it is the party that has introduced all these increases, unlike...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: The Deputy should look at what his former leader, John Bruton, did for welfare beneficiaries when he was Minister for Finance.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: The Fine Gael record is very unsatisfactory.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: Is a 300% increase not a good record?

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: At a time when inflation was only 40%? That is a good record.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: Perhaps Deputy Durkan's maths is not good but that is seven times more than the rate of inflation. If he goes back to his calculator, it will confirm for him that seven times 40 is 280, when there was a 300% increase.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: I draw attention to the rates of welfare payment in Britain. Job seekers there get £51 if they are aged between 16 and 24. If they are over 25, they get £64.30. That puts our rates into perspective. Old age pensioners in Britain get £95.25 and if they are over 80, they get another 25 pence.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: I was making the point in respect of the old age pension in Britain that a person over 80 years of age gets an extra 25 p on top of the £95.25. When we compare that to our €230 the record speaks for itself.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: The lord of north Kildare.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. Like every other public representative, I find it is not easy to discuss the cuts that have had to be introduced due to financial necessity. In saying that, I commend and congratulate the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, for the way she has balanced this huge portfolio in a very fair way. When one considers there are 400,000 people on the...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: The priority of this budget and of the Government is, first and foremost, to stabilise the public finances. Anyone who ignores that fact is not living in the real world. We are aware from discussions throughout the year with those such as the ECB and the IMF that they expect us to take the corrective action we are taking. I commend the Minister for leaving the State pension for our senior...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: The Deputies referred to child benefit. Deputy O'Mahony may not have heard some of the earlier Fine Gael speakers but they castigated the Minister for changing the benefit. Fine Gael recognises as much as we do that serious financial retraction is necessary. When I consider the difficult choices the Minister had in this portfolio, I believe she has acted in a very balanced way.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: We all recognise that parents will not welcome the fact that they have €16 less in child benefit. However, Members should recognise that this benefit has increased over 300% in a ten-year period. When one considers that for the past year we have had deflation of 6.5% to 7%, the purchasing power of that payment has also increased. To suggest that it is not reasonable to make this cut is...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Michael Kennedy: When people have sufficient resources and their taxes are paying the €22 billion deficit of last year and next year, we will see how they feel about it.