Results 1,521-1,540 of 12,585 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 11. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of plans for the local employment service, LES, including the tender process for the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22984/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: As the Minister will be aware, the Indecon report reviewed the LES and jobs clubs and made a number of recommendations that we have already discussed at some length. I tabled this question in order to obtain an update on the position.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Does the Minister accept that, with a public procurement process, the playing pitch is not even in terms of the State sector, as represented by the LES and jobs clubs, and the private sector? What steps will the Minister take to ensure the LES which she acknowledges is doing a marvellous job, with which we all agree, will be in a position to compete on equal terms with any bids that may be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Is the Minister aware that there is strong legal opinion to the effect that EU law on state aid indicates that the State can provide this type of service without having the requirement for public procurement? There is legal opinion which holds that actions by the Government which protect services of general interest do not require to be put out to public tender. General interest services...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Did that advice come from the Attorney General?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Employment Service (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: It is my lucky day.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 12. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of her planned engagement with community employment, CE, supervisors; the proposals she plans to bring forward to address their entitlement to occupational pensions; if there is a timeline in place for the discussions to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22987/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: For the benefit of the House, I indicate that I was approached by a person on behalf of CE scheme supervisors and have been informed that negotiations are in train. That person did not want me to rock the boat, as it were, by pursuing this matter too assiduously. I will bow to that request but I ask the Minister to provide an indication of where matters stand.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I accept what the Minister says and will leave it at that. I wish to ask an ancillary question. One of my colleagues reminded me that he asked the Minister some time ago if the Department would review the Tús scheme in order that people could remain on it while still engaging with JobPath. The Minister indicated at the time that she would look at that issue and come-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I am referring to a recent proposal that Tús scheme participants would be able to continue to engage with JobPath. Is that the actual position?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 3. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to changing the rules for carer's allowance to increase the hours a person is entitled to work from the current level of 15 hours to 18.5 hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22983/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: There are approximately 375,000 carers in the country and only one in five of them qualify for carer's allowance. All the studies show that the number of carers is going to grow. This question relates to a proposal from Family Carers Ireland to assist carers to make ends meet by slightly relaxing the rules for qualification for carer's allowance.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: The rate of carer's allowance for a single person is approximately €16 per week above what the person would get if he or she was in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. I accept one should add the carer's support grant as well, but it is poor recompense for what is often a 24/7 job. Many carers have approached me, presumably with the consent of the people for whom they are caring, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Allowance Eligibility (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: If somebody can care for a person full-time and work for 15 hours per week, there are many instances where somebody could care for a person full-time and work up to 18.5 hours per week. I have two brief supplementary questions. Does the Minister have plans to review the Carer's Leave Act 2001 with a view to introducing more flexible working hours? Second, when the national carers'...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I acknowledge that the reviews are proceeding apace. On 4 April last, I tabled a question to the Minister for written reply. At that stage, just 13,000 cases had been reviewed and 75% of reviews had resulted in increased pension payments. It appears now that slightly fewer than half of the reviews conducted to date have resulted in increased pension payments. Given that this system was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: Of course, the Minister is right when she says we did not oppose the legislation. We accepted it on the basis that half a loaf is better than no bread. It was not an ideal solution from our perspective. I proposed a simple reversal of the 2012 changes. When we are getting something, we do not look a gift horse in the mouth. The Government had two options - to reverse the 2012 changes, or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: It is gradually declining.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 1. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the 2012 pension review; the number of persons who have had their pension entitlements reviewed to date; the number of persons awaiting a review; the number of persons issued with a high rate of pension; the number of persons whose pension has remained unchanged; and if she will make a statement on the matter....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: I tabled this question to receive an update on the situation for post-2012 pensioners. I understand the reviews are proceeding quickly. I record my appreciation for the staff and the hard work they are doing and the courtesy and accessibility they afford to me, at least, whenever I have occasion to contact them.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (30 May 2019)

Willie O'Dea: 17. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of her plans to introduce an auto-enrolment pension system; the progress made to date in this regard, in particular, changes she is considering to the Strawman proposal and the proposed date for introduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22986/19]