Results 21-40 of 32,001 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pension Provisions (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 106. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has considered relaxing the rules on pension drawdown to permit drawdown for certain purposes which might contribute to positive ageing, such as home adaptations, installation of technology, or caring support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15929/24]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 109. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the distribution of retirees from the public service, by age of retirement; and his estimate of the number of public servants at work aged 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 70 or over. [15928/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will assess the position of a school (details supplied) which lost out last year through the cancellation of the Covid grant, the IT grant and the minor works grant and fears that the IT grant will again not be paid, thereby undermining its funding position. [15791/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 151. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the directives which are in place requiring local authorities to make adequate provision for a positive environment to support a ageing population in their area; and whether any audit of the adequacy of planning policy to meet this challenge has been undertaken. [15931/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 257. To ask the Minister for Health if he will indicate the growth in the acute hospital budget in each year since 2000; and the growth in the budgets for primary care and for community care services over the same period. [15933/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 258. To ask the Minister for Health what the lessons have been for public health policy of managing a pandemic in nursing home settings; and whether new protocols are being put in place to embed these lessons. [15934/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Measures (11 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 259. To ask the Minister for Health whether he has plans to implement safeguarding legislation of the sort advocated by the Law Reform Commission and others seeking reform in the area. [15935/24]

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Minister for being here to hear his debate. Some of his colleagues do not always stay to listen to debates, so it is refreshing he is here. When I was appointed Minister for enterprise in 2011, a total of 1.8 million people were at work. Today, the figure stands at 2.7 million. We have a 50% larger economy in terms of the number of people in employment. That is an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: 5. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has considered how the tax system might make a better contribution towards adjustment to a longer and more fruitful retirement through supporting rightsizing, early release of pension savings in certain circumstances, more flexibility in continued working from employers, better recognition of family carers and in other ways; and if he will make a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I believe the tax system can make a much better contribution to positive ageing, especially around issues such as family caring, working beyond retirement age and the rightsizing of homes. Has the Minister looked at reforms that might promote such positive outcomes?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Minister that tax is only one of the levers, but I might give him some examples. Approximately 50% of people would like to work beyond their retirement age but most of them are denied that opportunity. Fortunately, we are not among that group. That is something that could be promoted by making flexible working more amenable for employers to deliver through tax breaks. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: To take that example, if a work contract states a person can work to 66, he or she cannot take up the options the Minister is offering to work beyond 66 because the employer's contract will trump the right to take up the social welfare option. There needs to be some innovative thinking, between the Minister’s Department and the spending Departments, to come up with some workable...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I probably rank as one of the cheapest Deputies to elect. In terms of pension rights, it is probably a good saving for the State. I have been doing a bit of work for a Fine Gael policy lab that we have on positive ageing and I think it is not just an issue for older people. This is actually an issue for people of all ages as to what exactly their arrangement is. I would like to explore a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: You are saying the onus is on the employer to initiate this conversation about someone retiring at a certain age when that person thinks he or should be able to work on but his or her employer feels that is not the case. If there is diminishing productivity or whatever, then how is that conversation to be framed? You cannot just say we are changing the law and it is up to you to sort it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: No, you are saying both change that and remove the idea that 66 is the mandatory age. So you are removing the mandatory age of retirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: How is that to be managed? How is that to be framed legislatively in a way that is fair to both sides of the contract? It seems to me quite a tricky thing for an employer, and a small employer particularly, to manage a situation where that is completely gone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: The converse of that is the question of what employer will take me on when I am 60 with the prospect that I have a contract for life, effectively, if I wish to operate it. Are there unintended consequences of this? That is what I am trying to probe. I am quite sympathetic to the change, but we could end up with people who are approaching retirement age just being locked out of the jobs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: Yes, but it would become a norm almost. Most people would prefer to work on. I think a figure of 60% was given for the number of people who would prefer to work on. It will almost become the norm that there will have to be an unfair dismissal at some point. I am playing devil's advocate here. If we go down the road suggested, how do we frame the legislation in a way that would be workable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: If the witnesses can, they might send us what the Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians have done to see how they framed their legislation.