Results 4,881-4,900 of 12,701 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Byrne's party has all the credibility of Oscar Pistorius's defence.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: In the miasma of fog, spin, obfuscation, misrepresentation and innuendo two things are clear. First, the administration of justice in this country has been reduced to a shambles. Second, the man who presided over that process is not the man to turn the tide. That is a fact. I have nothing personal against the Minister, Deputy Shatter. The best thing he can do-----

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: -----for his party, the Government and for the people, to whom all of us here are supposed to be beholden, is, having exhausted all other possibilities, do the right thing and hand in his seal of office. Frankly, he is finished as Minister for Justice and Equality. He is holed below the water line. He has lost all confidence and trust and can never do anything to restore it.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: There is a village somewhere looking for an idiot.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I do not wish to travel over ground which has been comprehensively covered by my colleagues. Last Wednesday, after two weeks of uncharacteristic silence during which he studiously avoided the media, the Minister addressed the House on two occasions. He devoted a great deal of his first speech to lavishing praise on the former Garda Commissioner, the very man he had colluded with the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 230. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of pension levy paid by public service pensioners who retired up to 29 February 2012 due to the impact of the public service pension reduction under the following bands for 2013: €12,000 - €24,000, €24,000 - €60,000, €60,000 - €100,000, €100,000 upwards; the amount paid each...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (1 Apr 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 298. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to G4S's security operations in Israel; if she has any concerns regarding the company's activities in Israel; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that G4S has submitted a bid for the JobPath contract; if she will outline the criteria for this contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15275/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (27 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 114. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the level of demand to date for amortising bonds used to underwrite sovereign annuities; her views on the operation of sovereign annuities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14647/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I have a quick calculation based on the actuarial review of the Social Insurance Fund. The current cost to the taxpayer of extending the scheme to illness benefit and jobseeker's benefit without paying any extra contribution would be €175 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I am obviously very sympathetic toward Deputy Butler’s point of view but if he says we should increase the contribution by a quarter of 1%, rather than 1.5%, it means the State will be out by €155 million per annum for as long as that arrangement is in place. Perhaps it would be a good idea to invite the Minister for Finance to come to our next meeting. We could discuss this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I would say only half the population is covered. That includes all civil servants, etc. There would be a very small percentage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, but I am counting the public sector pension as a-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Butler said there is a wrong situation here which needs to be addressed and that we need unity in our approach, and I agree with him on that. Unfortunately, before we can jointly get together to make a push to achieve something we need to have some clarity as to what exactly we are trying to achieve. Mr. Fielding said the figure for the extra social insurance benefit to qualify would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: That is what I am saying. That is a crucial issue because the solution to this, if everybody agreed on a compulsory system, is a 1.5% increase, which can be done gradually. However, if we are talking about a voluntary, opt-in, opt-out system, we have to work out what extra contribution we are talking about for people who want to opt in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Welfare Entitlements for Self-Employed: ISME, SEA and SFA (26 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the people for their presentations, which were very clear and coherent. For means-tested payments such as jobseeker's allowance and disability allowance there is no justification for a difference in treatment between calculating the means of a person who has been employed or a person who has been self-employed. I note the differences Mr. Dolan has pointed out - I come across them...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 333. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide funding for a new second level school in the Raheen-Dooradoyle area of Limerick; the stage this project is at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13328/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Eligibility (25 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 519. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason a recipient of a widow's pension would be excluded from taking part in the JobBridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13532/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Youth Guarantee (25 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 520. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the progress of the implementation of the youth guarantee scheme; the amount that has been pledged to this scheme; the number of participants that have taken part in this scheme to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13533/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Data (25 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 521. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of under 25s that have been out of work for four months or more; the number of under 25s that are classified as underemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13534/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Data (25 Mar 2014)

Willie O'Dea: 522. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of employment service officers and or advisors currently employed in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13535/14]