Results 4,621-4,640 of 12,590 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (12 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 117. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will enhance the community employment scheme in order to increase opportunities to carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25130/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (12 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 118. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered revising the habitual residence requirement for carers to provide more flexibility to those in receipt of the carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25131/14]

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I move amendment No. 19: In page 21, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following:“(2) Failure of the trustees to notify members of changes as outlined under this section shall be deemed an offence as prescribed under section 3 of the Pensions Act 1990.”.A new obligation is imposed on trustees but there is no sanction if they do not fulfil the obligation.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I move amendment No. 16:In page 19, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:"(2) The powers conferred on the Minister by sections 13, 14 and 15 shall not be utilised until after the Department of Social Protection make all reasonable efforts to recover these payments through installed repayments.".The Bill contains provisions with regard to where the Department of Social Protection...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I have a point on the section. Is the Minister aware of the submission we received from FLAC? It suggests the newly inserted subsection says subsections 1(d) and 1(e) are unnecessary and add nothing to what preceded them. Not only this but they could give rise to wrong interpretations. FLAC recommends that these provisions be deleted so perhaps the Minister could consider this between now...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: It would also lead to a lower rate of supplement being paid and could save money for the State, which is quite bizarre. We will resubmit the amendment on Report Stage.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I was in government in 2007 when this case was taken. Without breaching Cabinet confidentiality, of course, the matter was discussed, but it did not require a change in legislation. I do not see why it requires a change in legislation now, seven years later.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: To have a competition.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I take the Minister's point on the deadline for implementing the EU directive, but even if she considers that the provisions of section 16 should be in this Bill, as opposed to in standalone legislation, surely, when the time of the deadline was known, it would have been possible to publish the Bill a week or two sooner so that the Second Stage debate would have been earlier. Why publish the...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Last week in the Taoiseach's absence on what I am sure is very important national business, we debated yet another Social Welfare Bill. The Taoiseach will be interested to know that on the first day that Second Stage of that Bill was taken, I received a communication from the Whip's office asking me to put forward amendments because the amendments were being debated at 1 p.m. The Taoiseach...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Does the Taoiseach think this is acceptable and when will this change come about? I have been asking about it for six months.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I will be moving amendments Nos. 4 and 8, and I support all the amendments Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive. With the benefit of reflection, I am unsure whether we will achieve our desired objective but as the previous speaker indicated, that is due to the tight timeframe. We discussed Second Stage of this Social Welfare and Pensions Bill last week and I received a communication from the Bills Office...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: What about the Minister of State, Deputy White? Will he have to stand over the charge he made?

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: That is what the Secretary General said.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Will the Minister of State, Deputy White, have to stand over it?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Community welfare officers in Limerick did a tremendous job during the flooding. I would appreciate it if the Minister referred back to me as quickly as possible as I have an interest in this issue. The difficulty is that I do not know what advice to give. I will take a leaf from Deputy Joan Collins's book and advise them to simply stay in the house, even if they cannot afford to pay the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister has established a protocol with community welfare officers in the Dublin region. While I fully appreciate this, I remind the House that there is a country outside Dublin and that we have similar problems in Limerick and every other urban area. Will the Minister give us a commitment that she will consider establishing a similar protocol in other areas such as Limerick where...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (10 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 84. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when she will review the caps on the rent supplement schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24273/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Respite Care Services (10 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: That is not true.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Respite Care Services (10 Jun 2014)

Willie O'Dea: It is 20% less than when the Minister got her hands on it.