Results 15,681-15,700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (22 Apr 2004)

Mary Coughlan: They want to milk it for every political advantage. Shame on them. I commend the Bill to the House.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy has clarified that he requires details of the number of widow(er)s under 66 years and the cost of paying the over 66 rate to them. At present there are 120,620 people in receipt of a widow's or a widower's pension, of whom 36,492 are aged under 66 years. Of those under 66 years, 32,990 are in receipt of a widow(er)s contributory pension and 3,502 are in receipt a non-contributory...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: This case was the subject of a question from the Deputy which I answered on 4 March 2004. It concerns a supplementary welfare allowance cheque that was reported missing by the person to whom it was issued but which was found to have been cashed. As I stated in my earlier reply, the health board which issued the cheque has a duty to refer such cases to the gardaí so that the circumstances can...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I understand the Deputy is referring to the treatment benefit scheme. An underlying principle of the social insurance system is that, to establish entitlement to benefit, a person must have been insurably employed and paid appropriate PRSI contributions for a certain length of time. The treatment benefit scheme operated by my Department provides to insured persons and their dependent spouses...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I am not going to cross the Chairman. He was bemused that I would not do anything but I said I would and last week I provided funding from the information side for one of the report's recommendations. We will take that into consideration for the next budget. We are well within the programme for Government target for carer's allowance and carer's benefit and hopefully we will reach the target...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: ——we have a duty to deal with the issue of caring for the elderly and those with disabilities. We have done a considerable amount of work and I commend the Chairman and other members of the Committee on Social and Family Affairs for the work they have done, as I have said to the Chairman personally. While I echo some of his frustrations in the implementation of these matters, I have...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, a working group was established to examine the role refundable tax credits can play in the tax and welfare systems. This examination included the possibility of paying FIS through the tax system. Both issues are closely related since a substantial number of FIS claimants have income which comes below the tax exemption limit appropriate to their...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The habitual residence test is available in several EU member states. However, Ireland has never insisted on legal status within the EU. For example, if one wishes to work in Belgium, one must seek permission to live there and, as a consequence, one can apply for a bank account and so on. The habitual residence test will apply to all EU citizens, including ourselves, and it only applies in...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: All member states can enter into bilateral social welfare arrangements because people cannot be a burden on the state. Everyone who travels to work in Ireland and brings their families will receive child benefit. The habitual residence requirement is not necessarily two years; that is only a guideline. Other guidelines include the length and continuity of residence, the employment prospects...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: They will if they are working here.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: It is because the habitual residence test only applies to people who are not working and wish to avail of social welfare assistance.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: If one is legally working in the State, one is entitled to child benefit.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The legislation provides for a habitual residence requirement. There will be free movement of labour and people will have the same entitlements as Irish citizens. However, if one applies for social assistance under means tested schemes, one must meet the habitual residence requirement. All citizens of the new accession states can live in Ireland as long as they are not a burden on the State....

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The European Court of Justice. The decision was made yesterday. The habitual residence requirement can be introduced but it must apply to every EU citizen, including our own. Guidelines will be set and, on the basis of previous European court judgments, the Department can deal with this issue on a case by case basis. For example, Irish citizens returning from the US may be in a difficult...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Yes, exactly.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: The assumption is that the person would try to find another job. My view is that the majority will come here to work. They are thrifty, tenacious and vibrant workers and would be able to find other work reasonably quickly, putting some of our own people to shame. We categorise people in the labour market as active or inactive and "active" in the labour market means that somebody is available...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Nobody can be sent back. People who find themselves in long-term need of assistance may be facilitated. We do not interact too much with people on unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit for a period of between six week to three months. After three months, there is an application form to ensure that persons are available for and genuinely seeking work and similar provisions will apply...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: I made a botún during a press conference where I wrongly accused one of the members of the press for being responsible for that hysteria. I did not mean him personally, but the reported assumption that everyone in the world would move. There was an assumption that more than 1 million people would have moved with the accession of Spain, Portugal and Greece, but that did not happen. However, a...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Mary Coughlan: Other countries would have more extensive provisions in that there will be a quota on the number of people allowed to work in the country as well as major restrictions on access to welfare payments. Last week I visited Italy, where I spoke to Mr. Moroni. His difficulty is that in northern Italy, part of a town is in Italy and the rest in Albania and people walk across so he will have to seek...