Results 1-20 of 77 for carer's speaker:Catherine Connolly

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Catherine Connolly: ...I think what happened with the last two referendums was that the Government was disingenuous with the electorate, who were far ahead of us. They saw that the Government was simply not telling the truth about carers or about removing the mother from the Constitution. If you want to remove that, put in parents, but that is not what happened with both of those referendums. I thought about...

Fair and Sustainable Funding for Carers, Home Support and Nursing Homes Support Schemes: Motion [Private Members] (21 May 2025)

Catherine Connolly: ...society and to guide successive Governments. What did IHREC tell us, even if it is being utterly ignored? It said that the State should prioritise the deprivatisation of care and that there should be an updated carers strategy, which is not there. The report states that care is central to a functional, equal and inclusive society. This is on pages 10 and 11, if the Minister of State...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (1 May 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I thank the Minister. It is more than a year since the carer's referendum was overwhelmingly rejected. Almost 74% of those who voted said "No". The big issue that came up was the abolition of the means test on foot of the figure the Minister referred to of more than 99,000. Of course, many other carers get absolutely nothing. There are some suggestions that the figure in this regard is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (1 May 2025)

Catherine Connolly: ...of the Minister, but the referendum was overwhelmingly rejected because of the false narrative that was played out, hypocrisy and a failure to recognise that we cannot function as a society without carers, the vast majority of whom are women and are not paid. We need to recognise that. While I welcome the changes that have been made, which are positive, it is an utter and abject failure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (1 May 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I understand there was a review of the carer's allowance.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (1 May 2025)

Catherine Connolly: 91. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the means test for carer’s allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20503/25]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (27 Feb 2025)

Catherine Connolly: 127. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the means test for carer's allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8014/25]

Disability: Statements (25 Feb 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I will preface my remarks by saying that if the Government is seriously interested in helping to empower people with disabilities, it would abolish the means tests for carers immediately and it would bring in a cost of disability payment immediately. I will pick up where my colleague left off when she spoke about breaking the law. The Government is blatantly breaking the law. Twenty...

Carer's Allowance: Motion [Private Members] (6 Nov 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...reports. In 2022, the Joint Committee on Gender Equality made the recommendation that a person should be assessed on their individual means. The National University of Ireland did a report for Family Carers Ireland which talked about income. Family Carers Ireland's pre-budget submission called for the full abolition of the means test. Separately, we had a cross-part committee on many...

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Budget Statement 2025 (1 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...back to that because they are not being benchmarked or placed in context but the one thing that would make a difference, a cost-of-disability payment, is completely ignored. The abolition of means-testing for carers did not happen. The means test is still there, even though we went to the trouble of having a referendum to tell carers that we thought they were wonderful for minding people...

Carer's Allowance Means Test: Motion [Private Members] (25 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank Deputy Canney and his colleagues for tabling this motion. I have no hesitation in supporting it. The abolition of the means test for carers is the most basic step we can take in a republic to give that word meaning. We stand here today awaiting a Supreme Court decision concerning a case in which a woman has been forced to take a judicial review all the way to the Supreme Court. I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (9 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: 995.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the pre-Budget 2025 submission to her Department by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and the Islands, and in particular to supplementary recommendation 41, which calls for each care-related credited contribution awarded while in receipt...

Carers: Motion [Private Members] (18 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Regarding that last comment, quite a number of our carers are non-Irish. It is important to acknowledge that. I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. It builds on what Sinn Féin, Deputy Canney, others and I have done. We are doing this not to embarrass the Government. Well, perhaps we are doing it to embarrass the Government into acting. Rather than use my own words, I...

Carers: Motion [Private Members] (18 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...from the answers whether the beds are for older people or people with disabilities. There is a mix. I will put my hands up and say I am adding to the confusion. These are basic requirements. Carers are saving us billions of euro. I heard a figure of €20 billion mentioned. I do not know what the exact figure is, but the one I was using was €12 billion. We could pick...

Special Education: Motion [Private Members] (11 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...and the anger. We talk in terms of the millions provided. The reality on the ground, as the Minister of State well knows, is very difficult. Today, we have a report telling us that 2,000 carers were surveyed and 72% said they never receive respite. Not alone are parents struggling to get basic July provision and have consistency with that, they are also struggling for respite...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters (11 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...: Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the release of the HSE property in Mahon from the ambulance service to Cork City Council. Deputy Robert Troy - To discuss the survey published by Family Carers Ireland outlining deficiencies in the system. The matters raised by Deputies Pádraig O'Sullivan and Robert Troy have been selected for discussion

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: ...ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of her engagement in 2024 with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Tusla, and foster carers’ representative groups, with a view to ensuring that foster carers will be eligible for state pension contributions in respect of their time spent fostering; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: 447.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of any analysis carried out by her Department as regards allowing for foster carers to be eligible for State pension contributions in respect of their time spent fostering; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24854/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 May 2024)

Catherine Connolly: 301. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 53 of 20 February 2024, to provide an update on the long-term carers’ contribution scheme; the number of applications received to date; the number approved; the number rejected; the number pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20174/24]