Results 1,681-1,700 of 4,782 for speaker:Olwyn Enright

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: To support Deputy Shortall's amendment, I was present at the meeting and the situation was outlined by the Deputy or her colleague previously. Another Labour Deputy may have raised this at an earlier point as well. The impression we got that morning was that the legislation would now be sufficient to deal with the scenario as outlined.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: Yes.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I am pretty sure that taxation changes for one person were made a couple of years ago.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I move amendment No. 11: In page 9, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: "(3) The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the link between receipt of lone parent allowance and the commencement of employment. (4) The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I am aware that lone parents do not constitute a homogenous group. However, the structure of the system is such that we are obliged to discuss the amendments we table in the context of the type of payments that exist. The Minister has a great ability to outline a problem rather than offer a solution. I do not believe any of the points the Minister has made differ from those the Opposition...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: My party leader has also dealt with the need for a moratorium. It is important that the Government gives it urgent consideration. At this point, people are caught in the middle with foreclosure actions already in the courts. They do not have time on their side because decisions will be taken once the actions reach the courts. The Minister spoke about the letter on the hall table and...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I move amendment No. 5: In page 7, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "(3)—The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the number of eligible persons and proportion thereof availing of the Family Income Supplement.". This amendment, which relates to the family income supplement, is one of those...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I appreciate the Minister has a report due on family income supplement, but it was due to be completed in July 2008 and it is now 3 December. When will the report be published? I am aware of the objectives of the report as a result of a reply to a parliamentary question, but I am concerned about the numbers involved. Currently, some 26,000 families are in receipt of family income...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: The Minister stated that a number of families have reasons for not applying for this supplement. She should outline such reasons to the House because it is unusual for people who are eligible for something not to apply, unless they would lose something else as a result. That is the only logical reason I can discern for such a failure to apply. I acknowledge the Department's IT systems may...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: How did the Department contact those who are not in receipt of the family income supplement to discover the reason they did not apply for it?

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: That means there is a methodology within the Department to identify such people.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I still believe the system should be able to cope with it.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: While I will not press the amendment as the report is due to be published shortly, I ask the Minister to make the report available to all Members as soon as it is in her possession to enable them to examine it and discuss it adequately.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: I take this opportunity of asking the Minister, following on from Deputy Morgan's point, when she first became aware of the difficulties? From anecdotal evidence and from speaking to businesses involved, we all are aware of the difficulties which existed in the defined benefit schemes. On the specific memo leaked from the Department, when did the official knowledge — if I can put it that...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: If the companies could afford to.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: We do not know where it was leaked yet.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: It is the Minister's second contribution.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: We would be here until 3.30 p.m. tomorrow.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: The majority of children of that age were also in school when the scheme was introduced.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Olwyn Enright: The Minister is trying to rewrite history.