Results 5,201-5,220 of 8,245 for speaker:Bríd Smith

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Minister's angry tone at my questions indicates a certain defensiveness. My point about the jobseekers is the rate at which penalties are soaring, from 63 on JobPath in 2015 to 5,681 in 2018. I get my figures from the Minister's Department. The figure for 2017 for the number of disallowed carer's applications is 8,599. On appeal, 1,270 were allowed. That is quite high. It means that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I do not mind what tone the Minister uses.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 43. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the action she plans to take to deal with backlogs in applications for social welfare schemes, including carer's allowance, and appeals to decisions taken by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53444/18]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I ask the Minister to outline to the House the action being taken by her Department to deal with backlogs of applications and appeals for social protection schemes, including carer's allowance and domiciliary care allowance. I have information on backlogs in the Department that was given to another Deputy in June of this year and my question follows on from that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Deputies across this House will tell the Minister of numerous constituents who have been waiting for months for a decision on an appeal. Other Deputies and I can tell the Minister of numerous clients who wait for months for decisions on appeals. The high level of initial refusals that are then forced to go into appeal is interesting. It is also interesting that the Department never informed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 48. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the cases of persons who have failed to qualify for a contributory pension under new criteria introduced in 2012 that raised the minimum contributions needed to 520 will be examined; if the impact on those applicants who subsequently failed to qualify for a non-contributory pension will be examined; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 55. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of proposed legislation to deal with bogus self-employment; the progress in drafting such legislation; when such a Bill will be brought before Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53450/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 56. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason her Department is refusing access to the back to education allowance to applicants undertaking a professional masters degree in adult and community education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53451/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 72. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the contracts with JobPath providers will be extended; the date on which the current contracts expire; if a value for money study will be commissioned into the service provided by both companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53449/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 84. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the increase in sanctions and penalties taken against jobseekers is due to the interaction of the JobPath providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53448/18]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (19 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: 237. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to a new report (details supplied). which found on the basis of a meta-analysis of studies from 33 countries that criminalisation of sex workers or their clients is associated with a significantly greater risk of physical or sexual violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53514/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I have a procedural question for the Chairman. While we get to make a statement, do we get to discuss the amendments separately and individually or will we simply proceed to vote?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Minister relies on arguments which do not stand up to scrutiny. He is wrong to say we did not discuss a lot of things at the scrutiny stage. We discussed many of the things he feels are missing from the Bill. For example, we discussed the savings we would make by minimising the environmental damage that would be done if we extracted more oil and gas from the seas and by reducing our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I will quickly respond to some of what has been said. To address Deputy Stanley's comments, the Bill is linked to CO2 levels. It states that the Minister shall not issue any further licences for exploration and development as long as the parts per million of carbon are over the safe level of 350 which the figure on which science has settled. If we managed to get that number down, we could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: It meets only 10% of our demand for fossil fuels.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: No, it is not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I will call a vote, but I want to make a point first. I say this for the public and not to grandstand. It looks to me like the amendment will be carried, which means that the Bill will not proceed further.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I will make a point after the vote, depending on what happens, but there is an imbalance here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I have no problem with the amendment as long as it starts by stating the Government believes tackling climate change has broad political support.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Yes.