Results 7,961-7,980 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My simple request is that as unfortunately, we have no opportunity today to put this forward as part of the Bill, the Minister should indicate how he will-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----meaningfully move this issue forward.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It has been indicated-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand that. We have a pattern-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies, I was told this was the end of the Bill.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is the end of the Bill.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is a relevant matter.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, the Social Welfare Bill. This is me speaking to the Social Welfare Bill. I am also not just speaking to this Social Welfare Bill but also to the Social Welfare Bill from last year and the one from the year before, in each instance where this issue has been flagged. If this is not the home for that amendment or not the home for that action, I urge the Minister to find a home and find a...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There will be a board meeting, and there are meetings happening now and I also urge there would be meaningful engagement with the trustees and the Pensions Authority, not simply a fait accompli.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is a plea to the Independent News and Media board. I will conclude. I am moving away from that issue. This is my point, and it is the point we made extensively on Committee Stage - and I will come back to those point - which is pensions should not be a crisis, this is the most predictable issue. We know that people grow older. It is even more predictable than people being born and...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----in relation to it. I ask the Minister to introduce those measures on the public contributory pension and I ask him to champion the kind of long-term thinking, shared responsibility, planning and trust with regard to the other areas. That would be fundamental to the introduction of any universal supplementary scheme in the future. We need to rebuild trust in this area. I urge the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand my amendment has been ruled out of order but I would appreciate it if the Minister would address the concerns highlighted in the amendment. We will come later to an issue about which concern has been expressed on all sides of the House. It relates, in particular, to older women and the gender pension gap but this issue-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----is specifically related to the making of voluntary contributions. In this House last week, the Minister spoke about his concern to ensure that contributions are being made, that he wants to encourage the making of contributions, and that he wants to increase the fund that is available. I do not believe that our pay related insurance fund will ever be adequate in terms of our pension...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: First, I thank the Minister for taking on board the proposal in respect of five years. It is constructive and it will make a difference to people.I understand that the Minister indicated at the Oireachtas joint committee that he intends to look at a wider level at the contributions and the contribution system. I encourage the Minister to take this issue on board and to look to it. While...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is great to see paternity leave increasing and moving through legislation. I want to give a compliment because it is something we campaigned for in the National Women's Council in the past. I want to note it as a positive move.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. This is the complimentary bit. The extension of dental treatment is a very positive measure. For those working in the area of heart disease, this is an example of something thoughtful happening because the provision of dental treatment leads to significant savings on heart treatment at a later date.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak briefly on section 12.I am happy there will be a report on the changes to the one parent family payment, OPFP. In preparing the report on the financial and social effects of the amendments, reference is made to taking into account the effect on welfare dependency and the poverty rates of those in receipt. I would like to be clear that in looking at the financial and social...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As well as examining the issue highlighted by my colleague, there were considerable impacts when people moved from the OPFP to individually having to seek maintenance payments. The Department has figures on this and it is an important financial and social effect, which has had an economic impact. It would be important to capture that. Perhaps it is a corollary effect but it will feed into...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4:In page 8, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:"13. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 178F:"178G.(1)The Minister shall, not later than 9 months of the passing after theSocial Welfare Act 2016, cause to be produced a report in respect of the gender pension gap in the first tier and second tier of the pension...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a question of the marginal rate point rather than standard taxation.