Results 1,481-1,500 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (25 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 144. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to affect changes to the tenant purchase scheme introduced in 2016 due to the significant restrictive terms of eligibility attached which prevents long-term tenants and long-term social welfare recipients from purchasing the house they live in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3463/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (25 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 239. To ask the Minister for Health if negotiations have taken place between his Department and a pharmaceutical company (details supplied) with a view to having the price of the drug Respreeza significantly reduced in order to ensure that it is made available to persons who suffer with emphysema caused by severe Alpha-1 here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3529/17]

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: Barristers do not get paid at all.

Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: I am glad to hear the Minister is reviewing this. Due to the welcome drop in unemployment, which was outlined earlier, the current eligibility criteria for participating in the schemes are overly restrictive and, indeed, threaten the future of many of those schemes across rural communities. Many schemes are wobbling all over the place. At one time, notices looking for people would go up...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 55. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his proposals to extend more social insurance cover to self-employed persons including a form of jobseeker's benefit whereby a person's business fails or they can no longer continue working in their profession or trade; and when it will be implemented. [2756/17]

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: I ask the Minister to outline his objectives and the policy he will pursue to try to achieve a just and equitable resolution for the self-employed in the application of the social welfare system, given the fact there are over 300,000 self-employed people across the country. They act as employers as well as employees at various times and provide vital employment but they have been omitted...

Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: Self-employed people have acknowledged that the Minister is making inroads and some significant improvements, which are very welcome. To have invalidity pension coming in from December and the extension of ancillary benefits, such as dental and optical benefits, coming in from March is very welcome. However, the two big bugbears for the self-employed are in regard to illness benefit and...

Other Questions: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: That is a big issue and that abuse needs to be stamped out.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: The attitude the Minister is displaying in the Chamber today will come as an awful shock to the working people of this country. Does he realise he is condoning an incongruous situation whereby the workers of a very profitable company with a pension fund deficit will be left with nothing? Moreover, many of those funds will not be in deficit within the next 12 months given that inflation and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the action he will take to prevent profitable companies from winding up their defined benefit pension schemes; and the way he will ensure the pension rights of workers and those already retired are protected. [3026/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: Solvent employers can legally walk away from their liability to fund defined benefit pension schemes, as required under the employment contracts with current or former employees, simply by deciding to wind up the scheme. It is possible because most defined benefit scheme trustees and rules allow an employer to wind up a pension scheme and cease contributions while ignoring any deficit in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 64. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reform and recalibrate local activation programmes such as community employment, Tús and Gateway as announced in his statement of 2017 priorities. [2755/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 71. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when he will consult on options for the introduction of a working family payment; and if the family income supplement will be replaced in his reforms. [2753/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 73. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he has satisfied himself with the operation of JobPath; and if he plans to wind down this scheme with unemployment continuing to fall. [2757/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Unemployment Levels (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 81. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reduce long-term unemployment. [2754/17]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Refurbishment (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 109. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the likely date for the reopening of Mullingar courthouse following its significant refurbishment and renewal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2844/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a request (details supplied) has been made to his Department for a discussion on the future potential use of Columb Barracks, Mullingar, as an education centre and with a view to his Department playing a positive role in securing same for this use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2842/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospice Services Provision (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 461. To ask the Minister for Health when the funding will be provided for the promised level three hospice unit for the midlands; the timeframe for same to become available for use by patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2843/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescriptions Charges (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 483. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to abolish prescription charges for persons who are medical card holders and are inpatients and residents of nursing homes, in view of the fact that this charge represents an unfair burden to patients who already pay 80% of their eligible income towards their stay, which would not apply if they were inpatients in ordinary hospitals; and if he will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (24 Jan 2017)

Willie Penrose: 529. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that a person (details supplied) receives the GLAS, green low carbon agri-environment scheme, payment due for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2833/17]