Results 681-700 of 6,136 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: One thing that does occur to me, and maybe this is for the longer run because I am sure there are an awful lot of other potential beneficiaries from a housing point of view, is that DEIS schools are another category of people who serve people with disadvantages . Schools are under very severe financial pressure at the minute. Capitation does not come anywhere meeting the costs they have....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 65. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. [7916/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Minister for that very comprehensive answer. I got most of it. I am sitting next to Deputy Ó Murchú, so I did not necessarily get all of it. In any event, we have regarded this area as a vital priority. In any event, the programme is in an area that Sinn Féin sees as a priority. It is a good news story that it continues to be expanded. In the longer run,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Directives (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have no dispute in terms of our international obligations. We supported the legislation that made those changes to social welfare payments for people who arrived from Ukraine after a certain date. This is not about Europe, however. The provision of social welfare payments is a decision that has been adopted by the Irish Government. Given it is highly likely that at the expiration of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 52. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment, non-contributory. [8089/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There is a lot of talk about care at the minute in the context of the referendum. We should acknowledge, in that context, the role that kinship carers play. Very often they are the unsung heroes of the system who step up when, for whatever reason, a relative of theirs is not in a position to care for children. Very often they are working very hard, they step up and it can be complicated....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Will the Minister repeat that last sentence? I wish to understand it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: My sense of this is that either this has not fully established itself yet or maybe the change in approach has not factored through on the ground. I received a parliamentary question response saying that the means of the guardian, including any maintenance payment paid to them, in respect of the child are not assessed when establishing entitlement. The problem is not just in terms of means...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I could probably send several cases to the Minister albeit I do not have them directly. Kinship Care, a subsection of Treoir, highlighted this issue to me. Kinship Care met the guardian's payment deciding officer relatively recently. As far as that meeting was concerned, the deciding officers were unaware of the recent change of maintenance not being factored into entitlements for other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Directives (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 50. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to clarify what the beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive will be entitled to upon the elapsing of the directive, and what preparations her Department is undertaking for this date. [8088/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Directives (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Ar an gcéad dul síos, baineann an cheist seo le daoine faoin treoir Eorpach. We have had a number of discussions around this. I am concerned that there is a lack of clarity as to what the situation will be for beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive. When the directive wraps up, what will be the situation with payments for those who were in Ukraine before the passing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Directives (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I would like to note a couple of things. First, the temporary protection directive does not require beneficiaries of the directive to receive the same entitlements as Irish citizens. That is obviously the case, given the actions the Minister of State and her Government have taken regarding Ukrainians who arrive at a later date. They will receive the rate that international protection...

Paediatric Orthopaedic and Urology Services: Motion [Private Members] (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I commend the work my colleague David Cullinane has put into this motion. I say to the families, parents and advocates who are present here today and outside the House that I hope it gets widespread support in the House. In 2017, the Minister, Deputy Harris, promised that no child would be left waiting for longer than four months for surgery for scoliosis and spina bifida. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered whether illness benefit can be extended to self-employed persons. [7913/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 88. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether she has considered the situation of those providing kinship care, and the discrepancy between the financial supports provided to kinship carers by comparison to non-familial foster carers. [7915/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 97. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment non-contributory. [7914/24]

Business Costs for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Regional Group for bringing forward this motion. It is timely and we support the principles within it, although our approach to resolving these issues may be somewhat different. For more than a year, Sinn Féin and, in particular, Deputy O'Reilly have been highlighting the crisis facing SMEs, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors. In the city of Cork, we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I share the point made by Deputy Ó Cathasaigh that it is always great when we have officials from two Departments attending, particularly when the Ministers are not attending because all of the officials can contribute, which leads to a fruitful discussion. That is not their fault but it is a source of regret all the same. My first question is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A person can qualify for the warmer homes scheme if he or she receives a disability or partial capacity allowance but not if it is an invalidity pension. Maybe the angle is that the invalidity pension is a means-tested payment. Having said that, these are primarily people who are either not going to work again for a very long time or may never work again. A means test is done usually...