Results 61-80 of 1,038,985 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív88 OR speaker:Heather Humphreys)

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: That is fair enough. As I said, I got agreement this morning so we will move on now to get the general scheme of the Bill together. It will hopefully move fairly quickly. I can talk to my officials about the next steps and about whether the committee is happy to leave it without pre-legislative scrutiny.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It would be complex enough, would it not? The Minister has to draw the line somewhere.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It is just tricky to explain. It takes a few minutes to go through it to be honest with the Deputy.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, but there will be a line drawn somewhere.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The way it has been worked out is that the definition of "qualified cohabitant" for the scheme will be broadly based on the existing definition of qualifying cohabitant contained in the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. That Act was referred to in the Supreme Court judgment. Therefore, we are working along the lines of that Act in terms of-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Could the secretariat give us a copy of those relevant sections of the Act-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The 2010 Act.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: -----to which the Minister is referring.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Much of it will be based on that because that is where the definition of a cohabitant is in the legislation.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Yes, but obviously, that does not apply today to as many people as this is going to apply to. In other words, this has to become administratively possible in a fairly simple form for people who are going to qualify and administratively possible for people who are not going to qualify because, obviously, there will be quite a few people. It is that fine line that is going to cause the grief....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am happy to provide the Deputy with a copy of the draft legislation.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will put it this way; nobody has ever come to me and cited that law. I know there are going to be plenty of people coming to me on this one. That is the difference. Money is involved. There is going to be a cut-off point and there are going to be judgments involved. When we are dealing with something that is black and white, such having contributions and whatever, it is much easier....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am happy for the officials to come in. When we draft the legislation, they can come in to walk and talk members through it and answer any concerns they have. I am happy to do that, absolutely.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have one final question. Let us say a person qualifies. In the old days, if people qualified for a widow's pension, the way they lost that was if they got married. Now, presumably, they equally lose it if they become a cohabitant again. These are the kinds of blurred lines.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It will be going forward.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I accept that, but I am saying that these are the kinds of blurred lines that in my view exist around the definition of what is a new cohabitant or whatever. I would be interested in those definitions. I foresee that will be a challenge when it is not something very finite. Marriage is a legal contract, so it is very definable. In this case, however, I am interested to see where the lines...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: That is fair enough. I had the same issues as the Deputy. In fairness to the officials, however, they have done a lot of work on this. We will hopefully be able to allay most of the concerns people will have. We put a fair bit into it because there are a number of different scenarios. We tried to look at how we can do this.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: That is great. Thank you.

Protection of Accident Victims from Non-Consensual Recording of Images Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (13 Jun 2024)

Duncan Smith: I thank the Minister of State and his officials. I certainly took those points in the manner in which they were intended, that is, constructively. I will go back and look at them all in an attempt to improve this and bring it forward to Committee Stage. This is exactly how this Parliament should work in terms of putting something forward and having a good reasoned debate and then getting...

Protection of Accident Victims from Non-Consensual Recording of Images Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (13 Jun 2024)

Question put and agreed to.