Results 141-160 of 1,234 for at speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Section 31 deals with share options and employers' PRSI contributions. What is the situation? At what rate is the employer's PRSI contribution paid on share options at present?

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I move amendment No. 12: In page 23, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: “Report in ensuring people aged 65 years of age have right to retire on State Pension Contributory 45. The Minister shall prepare and lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas on restoring the option on the right to retire for those aged 65 years of age on a State Pension Contributory and...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: My apologies, the Minister is right, but it is paid at a lower rate.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: ...take the first two or three days off the following week. He is just not able for two solid weeks in a row and he is 63 so he still has a good bit to go as things stand. If the Minister is looking at that then I welcome that and would be happy to engage with it. If people are in a position to continue working they should do so and whatever incentives and measures need to be put in place...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I wish to check one or two things. I asked some of these questions at the briefing and I think I have it right but I want to double-check. Hereafter, when the budget is announced, there will be two primary sets of figures for the pension, namely, a rate for the 66-year-olds; and three different rates for the 67, 68 and 69-year-olds. Each of those people will follow a trajectory that would...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (23 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: ...an bhoilscithe agus leis an ioncam gur chóir a bheith ag daoine i gcoitinne. Dá bharr sin, ní bheimid ag cur i gcoinne an Bhille seo, cé go mbeadh níos mó uainn agus go mbeadh rudaí eile déanta againn sa cháinaisnéis. It is vital to have a strong, robust social protection system that supports all families, workers and individuals when...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Of the 126 gardaí who came out of Templemore last year, just one came to Cork. That continues a trend that has been going on for some time. Of the 237 new gardaí so far this year, only four are going to Cork. As I said, this is a quite worrying trend of Cork not getting its fair shake. We have approximately 10% of the population but are consistently getting just 1% or 2% of...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate that. It is useful. I am conscious of what the Minister announced about the PRSI roadmap related to this. An awful lot of people would have been hoping for the restoration of the right to retire at 65 years as part of the roadmap. There is a payment, but it is less than the pension payment. Many people were hoping for this. Certainly, it was a major issue over the past...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If the Minister is willing to look at the benefits for those aged 65 and if she agrees to look at situations where people have been working on their feet I do not see why there is not a right to retire at the age of 65 and a right to have a State pension at 65.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: ...going to be another round of community halls funding this year? We had a discussion recently in the context of CLÁR and RAPID programmes. Obviously the RAPID programme is not currently in operation, but one contributor, who may have been from the Western Development Commission, was talking about the approach within RAPID to community needs assessments. There were people who,...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If I can come in with two more brief points, it was popular and other communities are now saying they we might like a go at it. I am sure you will make an announcement if and when that is going to come but at the minute there is nothing announced. The Minister is not saying there will not be another round but there is nothing at this moment. On community recognition funding, which I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In relation to the childcare committee, it has been doing all that it can. To some extent we need to look at powers and the structure of these committees because there are limits to what they can do. Very often it is just providing a list, particularly where there is not a long vacancy. In relation to one of the providers in one of the southern suburbs of the city, discussions are still...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister will be aware that I have written to him and addressed him in the Chamber on the adverse situation of childcare provision in Cork city. I am sure that is also the case in other locations but it is certainly my experience in the Cork city area. Waiting lists can often run to a year or two years. There is nothing for children under one year of age. The baby rooms are gone at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate the Minister's response. He has acknowledged that the 9% vacancy rate in Cork city is lower than in other places. Much of that vacancy could relate to particular early childhood care and education, ECCE, sessions. It does not necessarily reflect the fact that there are no full-time places and the impact of that. This issue comes up a lot with employers as well as with...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Government's political strategy with regard to the housing crisis consists of two things that I believe are not true, the first of which is that we have got this under control and things are getting better. By any metric, that is not true. House prices are increasing. They are beyond the reach of the vast majority of people who, as far as they are concerned, are doing everything they...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (7 Nov 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 359. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has considered any proposals for flood relief works at Ballinhassig, Cork; and, if not, whether he will now consider same. [47779/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is a very useful engagement because it is very useful to tease these issues out. Generally, I very much accept and believe what the Department is stating in terms of the objectives here in ensuring that the low rate of people with disabilities entering into employment is increased by the provision of supports, that no one will see a reduced payment and that the objective is not cost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Before we move on, can it be said that, allowing for demographic changes, we will be looking at a broadly comparable number of people in receipt of payments in five years’ time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Green Paper on Disability Reform: Department of Social Protection (25 Oct 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: ...an open mind. I am listening as much as I can and will be engaging with as many people as possible. Two places where the tyre hits the ground in terms of people’s concerns are assessments and what happens if they do not engage with Intreo and other work supports. I will deal with these concerns one at a time. Who would carry out the assessments prior to categorisation into the...