Results 4,061-4,080 of 12,585 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Department's officials and the two representative organisations for their submissions which are illuminating. I thank particularly the DFI and the Carers Association for a number of useful suggestions they have made. I am pleased the Department's officials are present to listen to them and understand the logic which underlies claims being made in the first place. The major...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, that would be difficult to produce. It has been suggested the successful review regarding improvements to the application process for domiciliary care allowance be extended to applications for carer's allowance and, I assume, disability allowance. I would welcome the Department's views in this regard. Another question that consistently comes up at ground level is about desk...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I am amazed at this. I am listening carefully to what Ms Kellaghan is saying but, in my experience, in my area, GPs routinely charge the patient separately for what she tells us they are paid to do by the Department anyway. Can we invite the IMO in to put an end to this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I will return to the issue of desktop assessments. The normal appeal system is conducted on the desktop, but the applicant has the option to look for an oral hearing. Would it be practical in terms of manpower, for the deciding officer at the initial assessment stage, to have the option to entertain a request from somebody who wanted to see him or her?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I have been amazed to have it confirmed today, that the deciding officer, who has no medical qualifications, is in a position to overrule the medical expert on what is essentially a medical matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: That is a very helpful suggestion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Medical Eligibility Criteria for Social Protection Payments: Discussion (29 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: Okay.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Railway Procurement Agency (16 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 197. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to allow Luas security workers to operate as transport police, similar to airport police; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15051/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (15 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 67. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will acknowledge that it is current Government policy to discourage lone parents from engaging with postgraduate education in view of the fact that it is virtually impossible to undertake a postgraduate course without a maintenance grant; her views on whether the provision for the special rate is in actual fact a smoke screen to convey that...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Applications (15 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 118. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the refusal of a respite care grant for 2014 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14859/15]

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Minister of State for his courtesy and how he has dealt with the Bill. Like Deputy Joan Collins, I was tempted to vote against the Bill, but because of the improvements contained therein, I do not propose to vote against it. However, I deeply regret the Government's decision to proceed with the change in the one-parent family payment, despite promises to the contrary by the...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I move amendment No. 18:In page 9, line 17, after "where," to insert "4 weeks".On the basis of communication I received from the Department yesterday evening on this matter, I am happy that the term "dividend" covers the situation I had in mind, and I withdraw the amendment.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister of State said I had indicated that this is completely new in social welfare legislation. I did not say that. I said I am aware it appears in various aspects of social welfare legislation but I also said it was new in respect of applying for carer's allowance. I said it is a reversal of the words of the 2005 Act which cover carer's allowance. We can argue about numbers and...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: These amendments relate to the obstacles that have to be overcome by a person in order to qualify for and receive carer's allowance or carer's benefit. Every Deputy in the House will know from his or her experience in his or her constituency that people do not apply for carer's allowance lightly. I accept that some people do not meet the criteria. People do not apply for it lightly....

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report Stage (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: I certainly agree with the thinking behind these amendments. We are all dealing, day in, day out, with constituents who are suffering because of inordinate delays in medical assessments. As I understand it, the Minister of State said on Committee Stage that the Department is quite willing to take on extra medical assessors. I presume the money is available to do that, but it cannot get...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seniors Alert Scheme (1 Apr 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 176. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the consequences Pobal's senior alert proposal will have on volunteer groups such as Neighbourhood Watch, in that it will sideline these groups which have played a major role in communities; if he will postpone the changes in view of this fact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13464/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (31 Mar 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 195. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the training opportunities available to an unemployed person who has been refused participation on a community employment scheme and on SOLAS training courses, in view of the fact the person was previously self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12692/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (31 Mar 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 234. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that persons are losing out on a significant portion of their contributory pension as a result of changes implemented by her Government in 2012; her views that persons should lose out on pension entitlements because they worked part-time jobs when they were students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13203/15]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (31 Mar 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 439. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to have a Jigsaw hub in County Limerick, in view of the fact there are now ten Jigsaw hubs in other communities, and young persons in County Limerick would benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12688/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (31 Mar 2015)

Willie O'Dea: 610. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the regulations to be made thereunder will be implemented in order that local authorities will have a proper legal process to pursue tenants who are in beach of the terms of their tenancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12709/15]