Results 1,781-1,800 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (9 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: 51. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of staff in her Department who are working remotely on a permanent basis; the number working from home; the number working from a remote hub; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2043/23]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (9 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: 52. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she plans to increase the carer's allowance or carer's benefit rates and the income disregard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2041/23]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: 54. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the target processing time for schemes under her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2044/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: No apologies have been received. Members participating in the meeting remotely are required to do so from within the Leinster House complex only. I ask members and witnesses to please turn off their mobile phones or ensure that they are on silent mode. I ask members participating remotely to use the raise hand function on Microsoft Teams if they wish to contribute. The meeting has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: I thank Ms Murdock. She pointed out that where people start to pay into their pension before the age of 23, that has a significant impact on the outturn of that fund, and she indicated there are reports to that effect. She might furnish the committee with that evidence, which would be useful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: Will Mr Murdock or one of her colleagues comment on the €20,000 threshold? It is an issue on which we have heard contrasting views from various witnesses who have come before the committee. The Department has strongly made the case that for anyone earning less than €20,000, the level of payment from the contributory State pension is sufficient to make up their potential loss...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: On that point, what I picked up on was the reference to "unproven structure". It is not unproven. It is there and it does work. The evidence that we received is that it takes considerably longer to put it in and the question is about the length of time. I accept there is a challenge, but the evidence this morning is that it is unproven. That is not the case. It is proven and it does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: I am not aware of the situation regarding the New Zealand system. However, there is a significant difference in both the rate of payment and buying power of the state pension in the UK compared with here. All Oireachtas Members advocate for UK retirees who are legally entitled under our means-tested payment to a top-up here, even though they qualified for a contributory pension in the UK,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: Ms Thornton might come back to us on that. The UK is not a good example as regards the lower threshold. Is New Zealand a good example relative to the rate of pay that is paid out through the state pension there? Is it comparable to the Irish system?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: We are getting into a very technical debate here and it is one the committee will be considering in greater detail. Deputy Kerrane wants to come in with some questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: If I could come back to the witness and the point being made. From the evidence we have got, regardless of whether one has the view of principle that it should be State-run or run by the financial industry, the main argument being put forward in evidence that we have received is that one could establish an operational fund far quicker if it is piggybacked on the existing industry rather than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: It is clear from the general scheme that this new fund must comply with the existing law, both domestic and international law. Based on the witness's view of what has happened elsewhere, what is the time differential? What is the genuine timeline to establish this piggybacking on the existing industry? What is a genuine estimate in relation to it? People have said that this can be done in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: If the witnesses have any final comments, they can incorporate those.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: I thank the representatives of Insurance Ireland for their evidence and their constructive and positive engagement with the committee. They will revert to the committee on a number of matters members raised with them. We will suspend the meeting briefly to allow them to leave and the next witnesses to take their seats. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: Our second engagement is a continuation of our pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system Bill 2022. I welcome the following officials from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI: Dr. Claire Keane, senior research officer; and Dr. Barra Roantree, research officer. Before we begin, I will explain some limitations to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: Dr. Keane will correct me if I am wrong, but that would allow them to pay in at the 40% effective relief rate because they are in higher income households, even though their own income may be lower. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: If we take what the ESRI is proposing, which is that we would go with a standard relief across the board-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: I accept that auto-enrolment causes great confusion in this regard but, if we maintain the existing system of tax relief, regardless of whether they have an occupational pension or are auto-enrolled, it would allow those people to avail of the higher relief, even though they are on lower incomes and at the moment would theoretically get a 25% top-up, because the vast bulk of them are in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Denis Naughten: Again, that disproportionately affects more women, or at least it would have done historically, which is a weakness that has been flagged in the context of auto-enrolment. Women with lower incomes would not benefit to the same extent from auto-enrolment.