Results 1,221-1,240 of 5,388 for speaker:John Deasy

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: I did not hear the radio programme. It is one thing if they will not come in, but could we write to them and ask how they make their investments as an investment committee, based on what they have publicised now?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Would that cover it all with regard to how they make their decisions when it comes to funds?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: So the Comptroller and Auditor General does not believe there is anything more to be elucidated from them. Does he think there is anything he could garner from them in an exchange of correspondence?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Fair enough. I thank Mr. McCarthy.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Ms O'Donoghue and her officials are welcome. I will start with the post office network and the Department's interactions and relationship with it. This has received some media attention recently, specifically because the Department has begun writing to recipients of social welfare inviting them to consider a transfer directly to their bank accounts. As Ms O'Donoghue is aware, there is a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: All that makes sense. Again, it is logical from the cost savings. However, someone from a post office or the Irish Postmasters Union might make the case that we all believe in choice but that an active campaign or system is under way within the Department to contact people on these schemes to remind them that there is this option. The postmasters are asking whether we can slow it down...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: That is interesting. Of the 2,800 letters, what was the take-up?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: That is fine. A total of 14% responded and of that figure 31% opted for the electronic payment system.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: The Department has done the modelling exercise with 2,800 people. Are there plans within the Department to expand on that at present?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Fair enough. Is there any other area in which the Department could potentially work with An Post in the future to give it more business? The Department is the big spend. An Post was relying on those transfers. Is the Department talking to An Post about anything else that is potentially coming out of the Department or is that it?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: If not, the Department would have the Comptroller and Auditor General down its back.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: I will stick with the Comptroller and Auditor General for a moment and move to the farm assist scheme. Mr. McCarthy made what I would regard as quite a noble recommendation in his report on the farm assist scheme which was rejected. He recommended that the Department should evaluate the extent to which the farm assist scheme is achieving its objectives in terms of assisting claimants to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Can Mr. McCarthy tell the committee why he made that recommendation? It is a common sense one in my view. Was he disappointed the Department said it did not feel it was in its remit? Is there anyone else who could do this?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: It begs the question that if it is in one's Vote, who else is going to do it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: Does Mr. Menton have a comment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: I turn to a broad issue within the Department which is the turnaround time from application to payment. I know from my own office that it is taking a great deal of time. The one we point to most is the invalidity payment. These are people who have made contributions and worked and we estimate that in some cases it takes approximately 18 months from the time an application is made to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: It is fair enough that those are the Department's data. I am just saying it is not our experience. I will collate the instances I have and give them to the Secretary General. I understand what she is saying, which is that outside of the appeals process, it is two and a half months, whereas my estimate is a great deal longer.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: As far as the different payments and schemes are concerned, where are the largest backlogs and the worst delays from the time someone makes an application to payment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 10 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 11 - Control of Supplementary Welfare Allowances
Chapter 12 - Farm Assist
Social Insurance Fund 2013 (28 May 2015)

John Deasy: How long is it for widows?