Results 121-140 of 1,035,062 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Marian Harkin) in 'Committee meetings'
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Alan Farrell: 50. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to report on the recent changes to the carer’s allowance means test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26536/24]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: There are five Deputies present, only three of whom are looking for re-election. The rest of the Deputies must be canvassing for the election at the moment.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Denis Naughten: I would not mind doing a bit of canvassing as well.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: I want to speak to the issue of care and the fact that care is so vital in our society at the moment. One in eight Irish people currently provide unpaid care. It is a tremendously tough job. It is often 24-7. It can be extremely demanding. How can we start to help, in the context of income, people who are providing care? Many of them are means-tested and many of them are suffering...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 50 together. Since my appointment as Minister, I have made significant improvements to the means test for carer's allowance. I have taken a range of actions to improve supports for carers over recent years through increasing payment rates and income disregards and providing once-off and extra double payments. It is important to acknowledge that there...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: We accept that this is enormously valuable work.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Yes, absolutely.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: That is really important to say. We also accept that the care that is actually provided saves the State a considerable amount of money. The Minister would have to recognise that the tens of thousands of men and women throughout the State who are caring are saving the State possibly billions of euro in terms of care that would otherwise have to be provided by the State. We know that...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I recognise and value the work of our carers. I mean that. We all know carers who are doing wonderful work. My Department will spend more than €1.7 billion this year on our support payments to carers. If you look at my record, improving supports for our carers has been a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection. I might also say that I was...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: I will be honest with the Minister - there is a crisis in care right across the State at the moment. If you look at childcare, for example, childcare units are closing on a weekly basis. Even though the people who provide childcare are professionals, they get some of the lowest wages in the State. Children in State care are in crisis at the moment. The State is putting children who are in...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl: We are going beyond the scope of the question.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: We do have an issue with care in this country and we have to value care more than we do.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The question is specific.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: The question is, do we value care that is being delivered, sometimes by family members and oftentimes by non-family members, to people who are in need right across the country? The measure of the value a government places on a particular issue is through the financial contribution it will make to the delivery of that care. It is very clear that many people are suffering financially because...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Government and I personally value the work that carers do. As I said, this year alone €1.7 billion be spent on supporting our carers. We have done a lot, including through lump sum payments for carers, pensions for carers and major changes to the means test. Weekly payments have been increased by €29 over the past three years. I assure the Deputy that supporting our...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)
Question No. 12 taken with Written Answers.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Emergency Accommodation (24 Sep 2024)
Emergency Accommodation
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Emergency Accommodation (24 Sep 2024)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 13. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports in place in terms of free travel access for people currently living in emergency accommodation. [37681/24]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Emergency Accommodation (24 Sep 2024)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Emergency accommodation is an issue that has been brought up with me by a number of groups. There are pilot programmes running in some areas of the country through which people who are living in emergency accommodation are able to get free travel. Very often, they are provided accommodation that is very far from areas where there might be schools, etc. It is a significant constraint on...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Emergency Accommodation (24 Sep 2024)
Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are more than one million customers with direct eligibility. In budget 2024 we expanded the free travel scheme to support people who are medically certified as unable to drive. The estimated expenditure on free travel...