Results 4,161-4,180 of 4,403 for speaker:Claire Kerrane

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: It is always the case at this time of the year that lights in households are turned on earlier and more heating is required. Uniquely this year, more people have spent more time at home than usual and they face increased energy costs. I appreciate that the fuel allowance season was extended, that procedures were put in place and that disconnections were banned, all of which measures were of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: I stand to be corrected but I believe many of the grants available through the SEAI, which are welcome, are part payments. In many cases, households simply cannot afford to put any money aside to try to retrofit their homes or make them warmer. I agree, however, that it cannot just be about spending money on and adding to the fuel allowance every year; it has to be about making the homes...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: The Minister has a draft of the report on the impact of the carbon tax and low-income households. When might the report be published?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Rates (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: I certainly would not be asking the Minister to do it in one year but I ask if she could begin the process in the next budget. The Minister also referred to the roadmap on social inclusion. We have been asking about this roadmap for a long time because, as the Minister will know, it was published two years late, having been due in 2017. The Minister will notice from the response of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Rates (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 25. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider moving towards linking social welfare rates with the minimum essential standard of living to ensure that all households relying on social welfare supports receive an amount that is adequate to meet their needs; the steps she will take in Budget 2021 in relation to the matter; and if she will make a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Rates (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: Will the Minister consider moving towards linking social welfare rates with adequacy? Will she begin that process in the upcoming budget?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Rates (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The Minister will probably know that this is an issue that we have been raising in the House for many years. In 2018, we published the Social Welfare Commission Bill, which was to establish a commission to consider the work the VPSJ does on the MESL to ensure very vulnerable households that rely on social welfare supports can meet a certain amount of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 23. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of plans to legislate for the State pension age increase to be deferred and remain at 66 years of age; the timeframe for the legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25248/20]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: I want to ask the Minister the status of plans to legislate for the deferral of the State pension increase to 67 years of age.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Even at this stage I have received correspondence from people approaching 66 years of age next year. We know that in normal circumstances, people approaching pension age have to apply for the payment three months before turning 66 years of age. I recently spoke to a gentleman who is turning 66 next April and who has been told he cannot apply for the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: Following on from that, as the membership has not yet been agreed and the Minister has to bring a memo to Cabinet, which I appreciate, given the timeframe in the programme for Government is she confident that the commission will be able to report by June next year? When does she envisage the first meeting of the commission's membership will take place? It is very important that she has a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 53. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which talks between her Department and a company (details supplied) in relation to access to jobseeker’s benefit came about; the outcome of the talks; if workers will receive backdated payments in cases in which they were on reduced days while in receipt of the temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if she will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 46. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons waiting for a public services card in order to access their entitlements, including the free travel card; the number of persons who turned 66 years of age who became entitled to the free travel card since March 2020 who cannot access the card as they were not SAFE registered; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Data (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 49. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the CSO report on Enforced Deprivation published on 2 September 2020; her views on the findings of the report; the steps she plans to take to tackle deprivation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25031/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 50. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the report carried out by external consultants to review all current contracted public employment services has been shared with her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25032/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 77. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the engagement he has had in relation to the national broadband plan in seeking to accelerate its rollout as committed to under Balanced Regional Development in the Programme for Partnership Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24326/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 533. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by a group of self-employed businesses (details supplied) which are unable to access supports for their businesses with the exception of the pandemic unemployment payment; if existing supports will be made available to the sector; and if she will make a statement on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: This issue has been ongoing for approximately six months. That is six months of workers not knowing their income from one week to another and struggling from one week to another. These are workers with families and with mortgages or rent to pay. They have been under immense pressure in the past few months. They have been told one thing by their local Intreo offices and another thing at...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: We all appreciate the process that is in place for these workers but the issue is with the Minister's reference to when the employers signs the forms. That has been the entire issue here: the employer has not been signing the forms and that has left employees in an awful situation. I reiterate that this has been going on for months. The Minister indicated that Department officials have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regional Development (17 Sep 2020)

Claire Kerrane: 1. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps she will take to address the growing regional inequalities here and specifically in the northern and western region, which has been downgraded by the EU from a developed region to a region in transition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24325/20]