Results 19,981-20,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The State Pension (Contributory) is paid to people from the age of 66 who have enough Irish social insurance contributions. To qualify for this pension, a person must have paid social insurance contributions before a certain age, have a certain number of social insurance contributions paid, and have a certain average number over the years since the person first started to pay social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Due to staff action currently being taken. I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The average processing times for jobseeker claims decided during February 2010 were 2.32 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 7.67 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. Processing times can vary from office to office due to the extent of the increased claim load, the number of staff vacancies, the duration of such vacancies and the turnover of staff in the office which impacts on the overall level...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Due to staff action currently being taken, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Due to staff action currently being taken, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Due to staff action currently being taken, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Due to staff action currently being taken, I regret that I am unable to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: However, it has not been sufficiently fair with the public to tell them how much it would cost. Deputy Kenny's policy document says that the Netherlands spends more than Ireland on health. Yet in his speech to the Fine Gael national conference last week he said the reverse. Which is it? If we want to have fair care, as the Deputy calls it-----

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Lastly, I will speak about the issue of a two-tier system. We have negotiated a new contract with consultants, which took four years. I was criticised about the length of time it took, but the reason was that we needed to obtain more access for public patients to our consultant manpower. That is at the heart of the new contract. There is a one-for-all list for diagnostics and for...

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: It is a great privilege, as a female member of the Government, to contribute to this debate. I say that to highlight the fact that since the foundation of the State, and excluding Countess Markievicz who held office in the first Dáil, only 12 women have held ministerial office at Cabinet level. It is a particular honour to be in the presence of the Tánaiste, Deputy Mary Coughlan, and the...

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: -----which is of central importance to the country and its economy. I have had the privilege of serving as a Minister of State and also as Minister for Education and Science and Minister for Social and Family Affairs. I am glad I had the opportunity to develop the national pensions strategy, which constitutes a long-term policy for the protection of the incomes of future generations.

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: It is easy to focus on financial concerns, the banks, etc. Its financial position may be extremely grim but this country is not poor. Ireland is rich in culture, innovation and creativity.

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: It is these aspects which are important to Irish citizens. When one asks people what they know about Ireland, they do not refer to the banks or the recession.

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: They refer instead to who we are, what we are and that for which we stand. This reflects the importance of my new portfolio in a governmental context. I look forward to continuing to ensure that our culture, which is central to us as a people, continues to be celebrated, promoted and developed. As has been stated previously, our culture is the rose on the table and it is extremely...

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: -----or focusing on women in sport and what they have achieved. Now that people are living longer, we want them to lead healthy lives and to participate. I recognise the sporting successes that have been achieved at national, county and club level. Regardless of whether one is referring to national sports such as hurling or minority sports such as sailing, there is no doubt that there is...

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: We spend a great deal of time attracting major foreign direct investment. The companies involved make a major contribution in the context of creating jobs and contributing to the country's tax revenues. Along with agriculture, tourism is a natural industry. We can develop it by marketing the country, by offering good value for money-----

Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: -----and by demanding good standards. My new Department is about us, as Irish people. It is about who and what we are, but it is also about developing particular aspects of our economy. I look forward to driving that development.

Written Answers — Social Insurance Fund: Social Insurance Fund (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 to 533, inclusive, together. PRSI receipts do not form part of Exchequer funding but are paid into the Social Insurance Fund. The most recent estimates for PRSI yields are set out in the following table. Changes to PRSI Rates & Thresholds Yield 1% increase in Employers higher PRSI rate â'¬423m 1% increase in Employers lower PRSI rate â'¬59m 1%...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: In the court case referred to by the Deputy, the High Court found that the Irish State is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights in not having a process and a register to legally recognise the acquired gender of transsexual persons. The judgment, however, allows the State a degree of latitude in the design of mechanisms to give such legal recognition. The Renewed Programme for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Mar 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The objective of the back to education allowance scheme is to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the labour market. The scheme covers courses of education from second level to Higher Diploma level in any discipline [level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)] and to a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary...