Hayes, BrianWednesday, 7 November 2001 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Social Welfare Benchmarking.
Asked the minister: if he will make a statement on the recent report of the social welfare benchmarking and indexation group established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
For several years the Minister has asked the House to wait for the conclusions of the report. His reply did not indicate whether he is in favour of the majority recommendation of the benchmarking and ...
Does the Minister have a view?
As this is Question Time, and hopefully answer time, I ask the Minister three straightforward questions and there should be straightforward replies. Did the Minister have a discussion with his three o...
I asked the Minister this question only six months ago and I repeat it now. As the Minister directly responsible and charged by Government for dealing with the issue of poverty, what in his view is a ...
He has indeed.
I did not ask the Minister that question. I asked if the Minister discussed this with the three officials.
Did the Minister speak to the three officials? He will not answer the question.
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Industrial Action.
Asked the minister: if he will make a statement in relation to the ongoing dispute at the Letterkenny office of his Department; and the effects of this dispute on persons claiming under the social welfare code.
I ask the Minister to use this opportunity to apologise to those people who have applied for—
—child benefit and find themselves in a back log. Will the Minister accept that it is his responsibility to sort out this dispute in his own Department? We are talking about relatively small sums of m...
The Minister has not bought “Pampers” recently.
Will the Minister give the House an assurance that he will instruct his senior officials to sit down with the unions in Letterkenny to work out and broker a deal? Will he admit to the House that this ...
What about a partnership committee? I understand it is the only regional office that does not have one.
Is that not the root of the problem? The Minister is not aware of the facts in Letterkenny. He did not know that there was not a partnership committee there. He was not aware that there was no consult...
Is that not the case? This is a case of the Minister not doing his job.
Now we are getting to Question Time and the lack of answers is absolutely clear. Will the Minister instruct his officials to sit down with representatives of the unions, whom they have not met in the ...
So the Minister will not instruct his officials.
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The people are so ungrateful.
People could afford to buy a house then.
The preamble is over.
The Minister is clinging on to power.
The people are so ungrateful.
Asked the minister: the number of persons who will not receive an increase in their social welfare payment until February 2002 due to the problem of printing social welfare books; and if he will make a statement on the m...
Does the Minister not accept that this is further evidence of his incompetence and inability to deliver these small increases to people on social welfare? Is he admitting that half a million people wi...
So has the Minister.
No.
The Minister has no view on the matter.
On a point of order, the history lesson is fascinating—
—but the Minister should be answering my questions.
I put a straightforward question to the Minister. He should answer the question.
The Minister should answer the question.
The Minister has some neck if he expects us to believe that.
His Department has shown gross incompetence in delivering small increases to people on social welfare. Is he admitting, yet again, that he is unable to deliver small increases until February? Would he...
The Minister is responsible for it. He should not dump on his officials again.
The Minister is dumping on his officials again.
Rubbish.
Other Questions. - Euro Changeover.
The Minister is straying from Question No. 6.
They are so ungrateful; they do not appreciate the Minister.
The Minister will have to pay more PR people to get his message about the increases across.
The money has been squandered.
Vincent Browne was like the Minister if he did not know his facts.
What does the Minister expect them to do with £30? They could buy shares with that.
They are so ungrateful.
I thought he was responsible for everything.
It is not false to say that there was a huge surplus.
It is an issue.
I am glad the Minister is organising a public awareness campaign and is to send conversion wheels to everyone, no doubt with the Minister's face on them. Can the Minister inform the House if he will c...
Has the Department apologised?
I feel sorry for the poor woman.
The Minister should keep his eye on these matters.
The information went to every home in the country.
The woman's telephone was ringing every night.
Other Questions. - Pension Provisions.
The Minister is shifting responsibility.
Shame.
The Minister should run that by us again. It was crystal clear.
The Minister is a big spender in that regard.
Other Questions. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Is the Minister stating that he is not opposed in principle to the introduction of a continuous care payment and that the decision would have to be made about who receives this payment, and the variou...
What about the increase in the numbers receiving the carer's allowance?
They would not get the full payment.
The Minister should listen to carers, not lecture them.
Stasi propaganda.
The Minister should listen.
We are so grateful.
In relation to the ongoing anomalies that exist for the parents of mulitple births, triplets and the like, this issue has come up repeatedly at budget time. In advance of the budget and the Social Wel...
Other Questions. - National Action Plan.
The difficulty with the Minister throughout the exchanges today is his failure to deal with criticism. The criticism does not come from Fr. Sean Healy; it comes from the EU Commission. Does the Minist...
So we do nothing for anyone else. That is wrong.
Does the Minister accept the criticisms?
Will the Minister change it?
All the Minister had to do was say that.
Other Questions. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.
We accept that.
He is taking off again.
I hate to interrupt the Minister's ard fheis speech. He nearly believes it himself. The Minister is right, we have the lowest unemployment rate in Europe but we also have the highest rate of relative...
The first question the Minister had to answer today was about benchmarking. If we had a commitment on benchmarking for the next seven years we could really lift people out of poverty, instead of the n...
Rubbish.
We need to have an honest debate on this matter. Is the Minister suggesting that continuing a policy of linking social welfare rises to inflation is the way to go? Social welfare increases should be l...
The Minister should address the issue.
It is obviously getting to the Minister.
But relative income poverty is the issue.
Does the Minister accept the principle?
The Minister is dodging it. Is that not the truth?
The Deputy's party was making up for the previous year's inflation.
Yes.
Is the Minister for it or against it?
Let the people decide. Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
Written Answers. - Foster Care Services.
Asked the minister: the number of persons being processed for the purposes of providing foster care for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Asked the minister: the reason his Department vetoed an application for a third level maintenance grant to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; if he will review the entire matter in order that this person can obtai...
| Last Updated: 10/09/2010 20:22:55 |
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