Cowen, Barry

Thursday, 1 March 2012

Dáil Éireann Debate
Vol. 757 No. 3

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Topical Issue Debate - Departmental Expenditure

You can have the four.More Button

Priority Questions - Employment Support Services

Asked the minister: if private contractors will be hired by her to operate one-stop shops as announced in budget 2012; if existing staff will be re-trained or re-deployed to meet the new demands; if the revenue implic...More Button

I thank the Minister for her response to the priority question. She stated that some external contractors will be appointed to engage with the new staff when they have been trained. It will involve ...More Button

My initial question on the private companies to be taken on to initiate part of this process was in a similar vein, given the fact that staff have been lost and others are joining the Minister’s Depar...More Button

Priority Questions - Community Employment Schemes

Asked the minister: the progress that has been made in the ongoing review of community employment schemes; when the reviews are due to report; if any CE schemes will be closed as a result; and if she will make a state...More Button

The Minister indicated that €360 million was spent on community employment schemes in 2011 but the provision in the budget is €315 million. Where a scheme can make the case for funding before the pro...More Button

That €1,500 comprises a training and materials grant. The Minister has said that the training budget in her Department has increased and this might compensate for the gap I have identified.More Button

The Minister is suggesting she has manoeuvrability to compensate.More Button

Would it not be wiser for the Minister to complete the review, identify the savings to which she alludes, and apply that in the context of next year’s budget while allowing these schemes to get the tr...More Button

Other Questions - Community Employment Schemes

To return to what I said earlier, the Minister said in response to a previous question that the funding is there within the training spend. If the funding is there and the Minister is aware that the ...More Button

Other Questions - Farm Assist Scheme

Despite buoyant food prices and the upturn in the farm income in recent years, farmers have been greatly affected by recession and rising production costs. The average farm income remains below €20,0...More Button

The Minister mentioned that approximately 11,300 people are receiving this supplementary income. That represents an increase of 46% on the 2008 figure and shows how important this is. That is why I ...More Button

Other Questions - Departmental Expenditure

Asked the minister: if she will provide a definition of control savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. More Button

In 2010, the Department referred a total of 341 cases for legal proceedings under either social welfare or criminal justice legislation out of a total of 1.4 million people receiving payments. This r...More Button

I can only go by the statistical analysis and the information shows this percentage, 0.024%, of cases going through the legal process. Of course, abuse of the system cannot be condoned but I point ou...More Button

Last Updated: 08/03/2013 15:42:47 First Page Previous Page Page of 198 Next Page Last Page