Results 5,881-5,900 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. I recognise it is a very substantial piece of work. This is really around taking and building on the activation work that has already been done by the Department and the committee. There is a lot of evidence out there and it is about gathering it but also placing the educational offering at centre stage and really examining how we can do that better in terms of building the careers,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wonder about the other issues indicated because it affects whether I will bring this issue back on Report Stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As well as reviewing the back to education allowance, the real issue I am trying to highlight here is that of access to the back to education allowance. The Department is a main and prime channel whereby persons come to access it or even access the idea of seeking to access the back to education allowance. It is largely through agents of the Minister - caseworkers and so forth - that...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Timing is a huge issue in regard to persons who become unemployed or are added to the register at a period of time when an appropriate course may be six or eight months away. That is perhaps something that can be examined internally. I am happy to withdraw the amendment in light of the Minister's comments.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following: “10. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on widening access to entitlement to make voluntary contributions with consideration given to—(a) the threshold of previous...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe it may be of interest to the Minister, given her interest in the issue of educational access. Amendment No. 37 very much relates to the substance of the sections in this Bill. I did not find a place within the sections where it should sit but it is around access to entitlement to make voluntary contributions. We saw an increase in the threshold of the previous contributions...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept the majority of what the Minister is saying. It is unfortunate for persons who find themselves at a point when they know that they are facing into a reduced rate pension and they are seeking this. I note the example the Minister gave of somebody who may have been, for example, the spouse of a person in the UK who has returned. In terms of financial independence, a number of people...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to indicate that I have had a discussion with the Bills Office and I will be looking to put forward an alternative version of the amendment.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 39:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:"10.The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay guidelines before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the principles and parameters which should underpin the development and agreement of “personal progression plans” by any...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I know. There should be no fear or perception on the part of the person that his or her attendance at a meeting would not be considered if they have not, which is the impression that individuals have had. The key point is that they are entitled to a hard copy of a proposed plan prior to signing and the opportunity to seek external advice on that prior to any signing. There should not be...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If there are existing guidelines, it would be an easy task to include within them clarification about the entitlement to a hard copy and the fact that external advice could be sought. That would go a long way. The Minister has outlined a sample set of inclusions but I do not see anything to contradict the suggestions I have made. The suggestions I have made could naturally be incorporated...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, I will withdraw the amendment but I will probably bring back my other amendment, potentially involving elements of this amendment, about personal progression plans on Report Stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 40:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:“10.The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas on fuel poverty, in the context of climate change targets and the “Just Transition” framework, to include a consideration...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This relates to amendment No. 43, which is another aspect of that issue to which I will come in a moment. Engaging with the issues of just transition and climate change is not the remit of just one Department. The climate plan is meant to be a whole-of-government, joined-up approach. We should not be in a situation where Ministers throw the issue to each other. The policies and setting...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I disagree. As the Department has responsibility for social protection and employment, it has more than an income support remit. The Minister is both underplaying her own interest in policy and the Department's role in policy to suggest somehow that it is a policy-less Department, simply providing income. That is inaccurate, to say the least. This is about the achievement of targets that...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 41:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:“10. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, for a six month period following the enactment of this Act, suspend any mandatory requirements for use of the Public Services Card or associated single customer view dataset as the only accepted means of identification for the purposes of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 42:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:“10. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within eight months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the provision of educational opportunities for people in receipt of social welfare payments, including: (a) an examination of the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 43:In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:“10. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report examining appropriate social protection services and casework supports for workers in industries likely to be scaled down by necessary...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I recognise there are supports for companies but my particular concern is about supports for individuals within sectors. I am very aware of those supports and I know of companies that have used them successfully. I am concerned about sectors that are scaling down. The Minister has indicated that other jobs may be coming in new industries, which I accept, but the point is we should not be...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When I previously asked if persons could access supports in a period, the Minister told me that the Department waits for them to become unemployed. That was at a social protection committee meeting. It is one thing to say there are other opportunities but this is about ensuring we work with people while they are in their current employment. We must consider how such people can access...