Results 1,021-1,040 of 6,136 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: More thought needs to be given to that because there is a long distance to travel between the philosophy and high-minded discussion that happens here and the thinking in six or seven years’ time of a Department employee with clear instructions or protocol to be followed regarding somebody in an Intreo office in Wexford or Letterkenny. I am trying to pick out what comes after steps...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Good. I am pleased to hear that. My next question follows on from the witnesses’ dialogue with Deputy Ó Cuív and people in tier 3. Actually, I had one further question on the medical assessment side of things. Would the decision of the medical assessor be binding on the deciding officer or would the deciding officer have some discretion? I ask this question because,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A thought occurred to me that applies to the current regime but it would apply to the future regime as well. I have come across it twice recently. It involves somebody with a rare illness - the kind of illness where there might be 400 cases in the world. There are a variety of very rare illnesses. In both cases, I dealt with people who would probably struggle with the administration side...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes, it does.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I did.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This has come to my attention because a number of people have contacted me recently who are being means-tested for their carer's allowance. Naturally, some of them are worried, as they would be when they are being means-tested. Anecdotally, from speaking to a number of these people, they believe this is occurring across the board and that a very large of people are being tested, perhaps...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am not expecting the Minister to make policy on the floor of the Dáil. I ask her to take away my proposal and think about it. There are a category of people who will be cut off and whose allowance will then be restored within a period of six months. I do not believe this is necessary. The Minister may have the power to operate on either side of that by not cutting people off. That...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When will the Bill be published?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 51. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the review of means tests for carer's allowance; and whether, in light of increased thresholds in 2024, flexibility can be demonstrated to those being means-tested currently. [46770/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I had criticisms of some of the elements of budget 2024 but one of the measures I welcomed was the increase in the means test thresholds for carer's allowance. Currently, I believe, however, that there is a large scale means test of people on carer's allowance happening which could lead to people being cut off who might then later qualify. Will the Minister comment on that?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 49. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the next steps in the consultation on the Green Paper on disability allowance. [46769/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister's recent Green Paper on disability allowance has been published. It envisages radical changes to the approach being taken. It is fair to say that some people have expressed concerns about the changes. I appreciate that consultation is still ongoing, but there are certainly cautionary tales from other jurisdictions that we need to be very much aware of. This question is an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As the Minister will be aware, a very large number of people will be affected by this. Some 225,000 people receive these payments, 150,000 on disability allowance and about 75,000 on the other payments. If I were to think of a single phrase that I think concerns people - the specific phrase belongs to the approach that was taken in Britain - it would be "work capability assessment". I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I think there is sometimes a lack of awareness of the partial capacity element of things and a difficulty in transitioning between invalidity and partial capacity payments. That is maybe another day's work but it might be an interim issue that could be raised. I hear the Minister say that cutting costs will not be a part of this. I will hold her to that. That is vital. It cannot be about...

Health Service Funding: Motion [Private Members] (24 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am very worried about what we are going to see this winter and in the coming years. This debate is not academic. We should not forget how profound are the impacts of underfunding, bad policy and mismanagement. There are people out there tonight who will pay a heavy price for that. Underfunding will result in more sick and vulnerable people waiting on trolleys in crowded corridors....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank all the witnesses for attending. I apologise for being late. I was on local media speaking about yesterday's budget. I have met a number of the witnesses previously to discuss this comprehensive proposal. As Deputy Ó Cuív outlined, we are all aware that it is significant and has challenges. While I am critical of elements of the budget, I welcome that the thresholds...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The carer's support grant. Ms Cox anticipated where the question was going. How many people does she anticipate would avail of this if the means test was removed? That is where she is going. It is approximately 125,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Therefore, it is not a perfect proxy, but it is an approximation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Those concerns later down the road are not a reason not to do it.