Results 14,601-14,620 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 382. To ask the Minister for Health the reason his Department have not provided sign language and a full programme of activities for a special needs person in line with the agreement reached with this persons parents following a High Court case (details supplied); and when and how such services are to be reinstated [55026/13]

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: I support the general thrust of this group of amendments. This Bill allows trustees of a scheme to reduce the minimum benefit of a defined benefit pension scheme to €12,000. This is far too low. The purpose of amendments Nos. 15, 16, 18 to 20, inclusive, 23 to 25, inclusive, 27 and 28 is to ensure that the minimum pension benefit should not fall below the basic rate of the...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: I move amendment No. 4:In page 9, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:“9. The Principal Act is amended by inserting a new section 48A as follows:“48A. A solvent firm shall not be allowed to wind-up a defined benefit pension scheme except where the scheme has reached a level of 100 per cent under the funding standard, subject to a maximum pension benefit of...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: There may be no statutory liability on employers in this respect, but employers entered into contracts with their former employees and where a party breaks a contract, there must be consequences for so doing. Clearly, in the world of the Government there are no consequences for employers in that regard. The Minister has quoted from the OECD's report and boasted about having commissioned...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: What if they do not?

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: They would say that, because they are the interests the Minister is serving.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: I wish to express disappointment at the Minister's attitude to the debate on this legislation. Many people, particularly spokespersons, have put in considerable time working on this Bill and it is regrettable that once again a wall has come down blocking contemplation of any amendments. Like many of her Government colleagues, the Minister is making a sham of what should be proper debate in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Employment Data (17 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 118. To ask the Taoiseach if in relation to the Quarterly National Household Survey - Quarter 3 - 2013 he will provide a breakdown by sectoral employment of the all persons part of table 5A; if he will also provide a breakdown of the same part of this table by age, by ILO economic status and by region,respectively. [54426/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (17 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 219. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) was told their appeal had been accepted on two occasions by Student Universal Support Ireland telephone operators, only for the decision to change at a later date; the outcome and rationale of the final decision of this appeal; the reason for the change in decision; the amount this person must now pay in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (17 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 378. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 135 of 27 November 2013, in which he states that vehicle owners generally who did not avail of the transition arrangements must now pay arrears in motor tax where these arise, if he will outline the exceptions to this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54018/13]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 458. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the options open to an owner's management company to ensure that common areas are transferred from the developer to the owner's management company in circumstances where the developers company has been struck off and the directors are not contactable. [54427/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (17 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 624. To ask the Minister for Health the target date for the publication of the White Paper on Universal Health Insurance [54292/13]

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: I want to record my intention to table amendments on Report Stage regarding the right of audience, which is different from consultation. I accept the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and other groups have been involved in various rounds of consultation, but that is different from having a right of audience through the industrial relations machinery.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: The problem with that is that it is after the event. I intend tabling an amendment on employer liability and also on the need to introduce an upper limit. The Minister said she did not want to have to introduce this legislation. She would not have to introduce it in the way she is doing it if the Government had dealt with the wider pensions issue in terms of the €2.5 billion being...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: The Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament highlighted this issue in correspondence to all of us, including the Minister. They were looking for the right of audience for pensioners. They also expressed their dissatisfaction over not having had the opportunity to come in and present to the committee. Many of us wondered why there is such a rush with this legislation and why there was not an...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: That is not the rationale. The Minister's explanation underlies the folly of taking a piecemeal approach to pension reform. It is regrettable that this issue has not been addressed in a comprehensive and meaningful way. As I stated previously, it is a case of passing the parcel between social protection and finance on this. One cannot make changes in one area without them having a...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: I support the thrust of these two amendments. It seems strange that in a single insolvency situation no element of the debt remains with the company. It would seem in those circumstances that a company is allowed to wind up the scheme and essentially walk away from it. That leaves the taxpayer to pick up the tab. I do not understand why that debt does not remain with the company. That is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 57. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 37 of 4 December 2013, if he will confirm that, as a result of changes to be made arising from the Finance (No.2) Bill, high-earning public sector employees with defined benefit pension entitlements will now be treated more favourably for SFT tax purposes than their private sector counterparts who choose to commute part...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (12 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 58. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 37 of 4 December 2013, if he will confirm that two high earning workers approaching retirement with identical benefits at retirement but where one is a high earning public sector worker and one is a high earning private sector worker (details supplied) will be treated very differently for tax purposes as a result of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Respite Care Grant Appeals (11 Dec 2013)

Róisín Shortall: 89. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 whose respite grant appeal was lodged in March 2013; the reason of the delay in the processing this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53296/13]