Results 1-20 of 34 for carers speaker:Mark Wall

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I want to raise several issues today. The first concerns emergency electricity credits. We all know that 2.2 million households will benefit from the worthwhile and needed €450 million that was announced by the Government in recent months. The reason I raise this issue today is that, in response to a number of queries I have had in the last couple of days, particularly around low...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Means Testing on Farm Assist and Other Social Welfare Schemes: Discussion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: ...going through at the moment. Mr. Fitzgerald, and everyone, has spoken about the whole capital test, that is, the €20,000 versus €50,000. Obviously, there are social welfare payments like carers' allowances and disability allowance that are at €50,000 at the moment and I believe it should be at €50,000. The last day I mentioned, as the Chair and Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and welcome our guests. Much of this has been covered by Deputy Ó Cuív but there are a couple of issues to pick up on. Carer's allowance is something I regularly deal with, as do other members, I am sure. Notwithstanding the new means test that will come into effect in June, I still hear from a lot of people who are getting very little in...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Mark Wall: ...welcome to our distinguished visitors. Given the good news the Minister has brought forward in respect of those in full-time education up to the age of 18, I will again raise the issue of foster carers. I know the Minister announced in the budget an additional payment of €75 for foster carers, €25 of which came into place from 1 January. Given the good news in respect of...

Seanad: An Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (An Teaghlach), 2023: An Dara Céim - Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023: Second Stage (22 Jan 2024)

Mark Wall: ...get a chance to contribute to that debate later but I welcome the fact we are getting rid of the sexist and outdated language contained within that article. I welcome also the support of Family Carers Ireland and Treoir for that amendment and the proposed recognition of care and caregivers in our Constitution for the first time. We have debated in this House on numerous occasions the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Mark Wall: .... The Labour Party will support it and make sure it passes through this House as quickly as possible. However, I wish to raise a number of issues with the Minister of State. I will start with carers. The first issue I wish to raise is those who may now qualify from the welcome increase in the means test will have to wait until June 2024 before they receive that payment. The Minister...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Nov 2023)

Mark Wall: ...the numbers of those seeking home help support in the first six months of 2022 to the same period in 2023 we see a 3.7% increase in people needing care. Over the past week I have spoken to a number of carers in the system who because of their age are being encouraged to retire by the HSE. At a time when we have 6,000 people on a waiting list we should be actively asking these experienced...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Mark Wall: ...and thank them very much for their time, as well as for the report, which I read last night. There are a couple of issues. I think it was Dr. Cullen who spoke about worth and value. I deal with carer's allowance on a daily basis and I think in the last statistics I saw that 77% of those who are on carer's allowance are actually women. Many of those women tell me they feel degraded and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Report on Participation Income for Family Carers: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Mark Wall: ...they think it is fit for purpose at the moment? I wanted to follow up on that comment, and Professor Murphy has just mentioned it again. I know she is not saying that we should carte blanche give carer's allowance to everybody, but where are the witnesses in their research with regard to the area of medical assessments?

Seanad: Care Payments: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jul 2023)

Mark Wall: .... I too welcome the Minister to the House today. I thank my Labour Party colleagues for proposing the motion. As my colleague, Senator Sherlock, has said, we are dealing with 500,000 family carers. I have spoken previously to the Minister at the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands about the carer's allowance. We have had a number of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 May 2023)

Mark Wall: ...what the needs are, particularly with regard to respite. One lady informed me that she has been waiting since February for information on respite, while another lady informed me that she is on a half-rate carer's allowance for 24-7 care she provides for her loved one. There are so many issues around this that we need to have that debate. I look forward to the report as a member of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Mark Wall: ...not show how the person is affected daily, and this is the problem Deputy Ó Cuív has just said. If a change in legislation is needed, then we need to do that. There is an appeals mechanism, and for carer's allowance and illness benefits, the in-person hearing was always the issue. My concern, which is shared by many others, is that we are not getting the oral hearings that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (2 Mar 2023)

Mark Wall: ...comes up again and again. There is the cost of an assessment of need and the cost of teacher training such as Mr. Devereux had to go through. Something needs to happen here. We have spoken about carer's allowance and means testing. I do not know whether we want to put that as a question but, as a committee, we have to learn about the costs these families and teachers are facing. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2023)

Mark Wall: .... Are there plans to make it easier for families? Are there plans to ensure that those who need to fill them out will be helped? Will the form be reduced in size? Mr. Hession mentioned that the carer's allowance form has been reduced in size. That was no harm; it was one of the biggest forms I had to deal with. The current forms are very difficult, however, which has been mentioned...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Mark Wall: .... I would like clarification from the Minister on the last point Senator Higgins raised. It is important and the Minister is very much aware of my previous interjections on the means test for carer's allowance. She is carrying out an important piece of work and I welcome that she has repeated the commitment during this debate.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Second Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Mark Wall: .... It is something we discussed with the Minister and officials at the Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands. I wish to raise the issue of the means test and carer's allowance, which I raised with the Minister previously at that committee and in this House. The Minister has acknowledged the 24-7 care so many carer's allowance recipients carry out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Mark Wall: ...for us to hear, but that is what we hear day in, day out. The fire in the house has to be put out in some way. I am a member of the social protection committee. We have talked about the means test for carers. That has to be got rid of. So many people are losing out on carer's allowance. We want to see money. One of the problems I come across from speaking to the people I deal with...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Surviving Cohabitant’s Pension) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Mark Wall: ...social welfare payments for cohabiting couples is in place. There is a comprehensive definition of "cohabiting couples" in legislation and it is used for payments such as jobseeker's allowance and carer's allowance. This leaves an unexplained and huge gap in our social protection system for those bereaved and cohabiting, and for their families. It is time to act and change this. If a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Mark Wall: I also thank our guests for being with us this morning and it is a very important discussion we are having. If it is okay, I will start on the topic of carers. I am aware that in the run-up to the increases in the means test on 1 June, many letters were sent to carers and those in receipt of the carer's allowance. Does the Department have any idea of how many people lost out as a result of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2022)

Mark Wall: I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, where we had in representatives of Family Carers Ireland. We also heard heartbreaking and powerful testimonies from three families. I want to put on record the name of the three carers and those for whom they are caring. I thank Mr. Damien Douglas, Ms Niamh Ryan and...