Results 101-120 of 456 for long speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (24 Jan 2017)

Willie O'Dea: ...the reason for the new entrant term limitations for the rural social scheme, which has up to now been an income support for small under employed farmers that were entitled to stay on the scheme as long as their situation remained the same; if he will address the hardship this change places on small farmers on RSS that are not unemployed and that do not want to move away from farming; and...

Pension Equality and Fairness: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Dec 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...be recognised with sufficient increases to both the Contributory and Non-Contributory State Pensions; accepts that too many workers are not in a pension scheme and that pension reform is taking far too long to be introduced and this needs to change in 2017; acknowledges the €5 increase to the State Pension announced in Budget 2017 and other social welfare allowances and agrees...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: JobPath Implementation (22 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...is essential, but we disagree on whether jobseekers might be coerced into unsuitable or inappropriate employment. It must be recognised that people who have been out of the workforce for a long time often have issues that make it difficult for them to re-enter it. I am staggered by the Minister's reference to there only being 145 complaints. With as much certainty as I can have short...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...people who want to better themselves and improve their family circumstances by going out to work, are worse off and continue to be worse off as a result of the changes. We cannot put it on the long finger or discuss the potential for different schemes in the future. It is having a real effect on real people as we speak. I did not take in the Minister's last point. Does he propose...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: This is a long and complex amendment. I understand the regulations of 2016 are replacing the regulations of 2005. Is the Minister satisfied that the changes being made do not in any way diminish the right of the people concerned to claim social welfare payments? Section 246 of the Act, to which the Minister refers, makes it a condition of receiving social welfare payments that a person...

Social Welfare Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: It is a long way from-----

Social Welfare Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...enters the social welfare system just before his or her 56th birthday and pays stamp for ten years will be entitled to a full pension. If somebody pays stamp equal to 20 years contributions over a longer period, in many cases, he or she will be entitled to less. A system which provides that one receives a higher pension in making fewer contributions is patently unfair. I know that this...

Social Welfare Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Nov 2016)

Willie O'Dea: More important, there are measures which are not in the Bill which should be in it. The poverty figures demonstrate that we still have a long way to go. Fianna Fáil is not opposing the Bill on Second Stage, but I have a few things to point out to the Minister about various aspects of the legislation which we will be discussing further on Committee Stage. I welcome the increase in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Priorities for Department of Social Protection: Minister for Social Protection (7 Sep 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...and the cost in that regard in terms of invalidity pension would by €78 million. What is the position in relation to illness benefit? I am aware that the advisory committee dealt with the issue of long-term illness. However, people who are self-employed can become ill on a short term basis also. On the advisory group report on tax and social welfare, I do not agree with the...

Nursing Home Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2016: First Stage (13 Jul 2016)

Willie O'Dea: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to allow for the provision of home care services to a person who qualifies for and is being offered long-term residential care in circumstances where suitable home care services can be devised for that person and such services are less costly on the State than the long-term residential care being offered and to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (12 Jul 2016)

Willie O'Dea: 503. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware that there is an extremely long waiting list for scoliosis patients to meet with a consultant and that the subsequent waiting list for surgery is also very long; the current waiting list periods; his plans to deal with the waiting list for this debilitating condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20649/16]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (30 Jun 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...on figures supplied by the Department, for a person who applies for carer's allowance and is refused and must attend an oral hearing, the total time from beginning to end is 41.1 weeks, which is a long time. For an invalidity pension application, the total time is 58.9 weeks, longer than a year. For a jobseeker's allowance application, where there is a question about a means test, it is...

Insurance Costs: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (9 Jun 2016)

Willie O'Dea: That is a first. I congratulate the Minister on his appointment, and wish him the very best and a long and profitable period in his position. I also want to congratulate my colleague, Deputy McGrath, on bringing forward this very timely motion. Due to time constraints, I cannot discuss the structural problems of the insurance industry or the implications of Setanta and Quinn. Therefore, I...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: JobPath Implementation (2 Jun 2016)

Willie O'Dea: 221. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the training that companies (details supplied) contracted to deliver JobBridge undertake to deal with the specific needs of those who are long-term unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14238/16]

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Review (25 May 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...are impugned. If somebody is disqualified from being involved in the JobBridge scheme because they have been found to be exploiting young people who want to get into employment and those who are long-term unemployed, surely they deserve to have their names published. The Minister is using a different excuse than his predecessor who used the excuse of commercial sensitivity. I would have...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Benefit Payments (25 May 2016)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Minister for that assurance. It would appear that the long answer is "No" and the short answer is also "No", so we are happy with that.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Respite Care Services (17 May 2016)

Willie O'Dea: 634. To ask the Minister for Health if and for how long the practice is to continue where respite care has been reduced from seven nights per month to two nights per month and if a crisis case arises the respite is withdrawn (details supplied); if this practice is acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9368/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Respite Care Services (3 Feb 2016)

Willie O'Dea: 64. To ask the Minister for Health the status of parents and guardians in regard to respite care facilities and the apparently new policy of transferring long-term residents into smaller unfamiliar venues and homes which causes upset and in some cases health problems to the person with disabilities; why parents and guardians have not been consulted on this, given the vulnerability of persons...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...has been brought to our attention. We have been contacted by a number of the groups involved and raised their concerns with the Minister of State. I am very glad that he has listened to us. How long does he think the process will take?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Community Services Programme (13 Jan 2016)

Willie O'Dea: ...process to enable companies to apply for additional funding on the one-to-one basis to which the Minister of State referred. Has the process been put in place? This is an ongoing situation. How long is the process likely to take? The Tánaiste has already announced that when she is returned as Tánaiste next year, she will increase the minimum wage again. Good luck to her....