Yes, and that is why we have a Minister of State with responsibility for older people. I can only speak of what my Department is trying to do. I am also happy to work with the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people, Deputy Butler, to progress any suggestions she might have in terms of how we can work with older people. We meet with Age Friendly Ireland. There is a lot of work in my other Department through the library services and how we can engage older people to take on different…

There is a great nationwide programme, also in my own county, the university of the third generation, I think.

Yes. They do really good work.

I have spoken to them in my role as Minister for business about how they could contribute. We should tap into that resource. I know some of those involved well and they have a lot to offer. I agree with the Deputy. We are missing a trick in terms of the valuable resource that we have in our older generation. As he said, we need some way to activate them. I am happy to examine how we can keep them in the workforce, especially given that people are now living longer and are healthier. Why not keep them in the workfor…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The community welfare service is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and ensuring that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. It is a key service and deals with approximately 12,000 claim applications per month. Over 2,600 additional needs payment claims are currently being received each week and of these 300 are for new accommodation kit-outs. To deal efficiently with the volume of claims be…

The Deputy brought a number of incidents to my attention, which is particularly useful for me because we can learn from and act on that. The information pertaining to the people the Deputy has raised with me is confidential. We have gone through all of that and have come back to the Deputy with an answer. The intention is not to lose documents or anything like that. The tracking of the receipt of documentation submitted to the office is being followed up. We are going through the issues the Deputy has raised. We do…

The Deputy and I think the same way on this. We want people to get their money. Like the Deputy, I want them to get it when they need it. We are sorting out the issues the Deputy has raised with me and will learn from them. I advise all Deputies to bring any issues to my attention and I will take them up and see whether we can get them sorted. The Department of Social Protection is here to help people. People come for help when they need it. Our job is to provide that. In fairness to the many thousands of staff who…

Out of courtesy, I will reply. We have done much work on reasonable accommodation because employers were not taking up the grants. We want them to do so in order that places can be adapted for people with disabilities to come to work. That is the number one point. We put a lot into this, so it will be launched very shortly. On Deputy Fitzpatrick’s query, could he bring the case to my attention so I can examine it? I expanded the income criteria for the fuel allowance for the over-70s and many have benefited from th…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the important issue of supports for disabled people. I launched the consultation process on the Green Paper last September. It is very important to say that this is all the Green Paper ever was - a consultation document - and I want to be very clear about that. Based on the feedback we have received to date, it is clear to me that there are significant concerns about the proposals. I listened to these concerns and I announced last week that we will not proceed with the Green Pap…

We consulted extensively. The Deputy is wrong.

The Deputy is wrong. I will give him a list of-----

You were Sinn Féin.

Twenty-five years.

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I have listened intently to all the suggestions and views that have been put forward. There are some areas of difference. Some are quite fundamental to the Government's agreed design. It is fair to say that there has been a broad welcome from all sides of the House for the core idea of auto-enrolment, which is to find a way to provide workers with an additional income in retirement over and above the level of the State pension. I will try to use this opportunity to …

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Auto-enrolment has been spoken about in Ireland for 25 years. I believe it was the late Seamus Brennan who first raised it. I am delighted at long last to be introducing the legislation in the Dáil which will give effect to auto-enrolment in Ireland. Today is a major milestone and it is the culmination of years of policy development, consultation and discussion with stakeholders, and decision-making on how best to supplement income for people in their old age. Enac…

You would want to watch them Border boys.

Tairgim: Go n-ainmneoidh Dáil Éireann an Teachta Simon Harris chun a cheaptha ag an Uachtarán mar Thaoiseach. I move: That Dáil Éireann nominates Deputy Simon Harris for appointment by the President to be Taoiseach. The first time I came to the Dáil was on 9 March 2011. Like any first-time TD, I was nervous. I was finding my feet and trying to get used to this place and all the new faces around me. I saw this young lad walking around the place and I said to myself, “Ah, sure, he must be on a school tour or on work …

No, it is not.

Hold on-----