Results 321-340 of 1,371 for speaker:Máire Hoctor

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.50 per week made to people age 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity-type schemes. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The decision taken at the time was based on the fact that the numbers of people who live alone as they grow older tends to diminish. The trend is that these individuals move in with their families. Thankfully, their telephone allowance and other benefits remain in place but they lose the living alone allowance. The amount provided through the allowance is small but personal rates of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The programme for Government includes a commitment to reduce long-term reliance on rent supplement. This will be done mainly by keeping the standard means test for rent supplement under review to provide enhanced financial incentives for people taking up employment, or other professional options, and providing long-term housing solutions under the rental accommodation scheme, etc....

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes, including the child benefit scheme, with effect from 1 May 2004. That condition was introduced to ensure that people who have not worked in Ireland, or have not established habitual residence here, should not be able...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not accept the amendment. An unacceptable number of children remain in consistent poverty and the Government remains focused on further substantially reducing child poverty. The level of commitment in this area was particularly prominent in the 2008 budget in which was announced a range of targeted measures and supports, costing more than €147 million in a full year, specifically to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. Responsibility for matters relating to paternity leave rests with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The question of social insurance funded payment for paternity leave would be contingent on an underlying entitlement to statutory parental leave. The introduction of paid parental leave or paternity leave would have significant cost...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The free travel scheme permits travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by a large number of private operators. Some 19 private transport operators are involved in the scheme, providing services to free travel pass-holders. It is open to private transport operators to apply to the Department for inclusion...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The fuel allowance is paid from the end of September to the end of April each year. It represents a contribution to a person's normal heating expenses. It was never intended to meet the costs in full. Improvements to the allowance in recent years include the easing of the means test and extending the duration of the payment from 26 to 29 weeks. Budget 2006 provided for an increase in the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: Fuel poverty is described as the inability to afford adequate warmth in a home or the inability to achieve adequate warmth because of the energy and efficiency of the home. The Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in October 2006, stated the Government's commitment to reducing fuel poverty. This issue will be further addressed as the current energy policy formulation process develops...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: A detailed review of the fuel allowance was carried out in 1998. A survey of recipients of the allowance on a customer panel showed that a majority, 58%, preferred weekly payment while only 8% would rather have two lump sum payments during the fuel season. As a result the Department kept the scheme as arranged. The Minister is open to reviewing this arrangement at a later stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: This is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Local authorities have the power necessary to operate the waiver schemes and most do so. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would not be feasible given the wide range of charging arrangements, regimes and cost structures that exist for waste management throughout the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. There has been a range of reforms to the social welfare system over recent decades which make it easier for people, and women in particular, to qualify for contributory pensions. The Government has taken action to improve the position of those who do not qualify for a pension in their own right but are supported as qualified adults on the pensions...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The information reaches people through public campaigning and advertising. The Department has publicised the scheme consistently to maximise the uptake by qualified families. Following the significant improvements in the qualifying income limits in the 2006 budget the Department undertook a week long nationwide awareness campaign in March of that year to encourage increased take-up of the...

Hospital Services. (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am replying to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The HSE has advised the Department that no decisions have been taken regarding a reduction in services at hospitals in the HSE north-east area, including Monaghan General Hospital. The HSE has indicated that it is facing a challenging year ahead and is exploring how best to...

Hospital Services. (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Over the next few years, in preparation for all acute emergency inpatient care and complex planned care being provided at the regional centre, the existing five hospitals will continue to provide services which meet the majority of health needs of the community. There have recently been significant improvements at Monaghan General Hospital, including two newly refurbished inpatient medical wards.

Hospital Services. (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: This project, which cost €5 million, consists of two 25-bed inpatient wards, male and female, with each ward providing a range of multi-bed and single rooms. The ward project builds on the investment of €1.2 million on new equipment, an upgrade of the pharmacy and on general facility upgrades for the hospital. The HSE has advised the Department that the role of Monaghan General Hospital...

Hospital Services. (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Emergency surgical services on a 24 hour, seven day basis are provided on the Cavan site, while significant elements of diagnostic, outpatient and day case services are provided on the Monaghan Hospital site. This has resulted in lower waiting times for outpatient appointments and inpatient elective services. Since the reconfiguration of Cavan-Monaghan surgical services, patients can, if...

Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: There are no plans to introduce an Irish Older Person's Bill as referred to by the Deputy. However, I am delighted to inform the Deputy that the Office for Older People will be formally launched by the Taoiseach on Wednesday 30th January 2008. The main functions of the new Office will be to establish an interdepartmental network to draw up and implement a Strategy for Positive Ageing; to...

Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am delighted to inform the Deputy that the Office for Older People will be formally launched by the Taoiseach on Wednesday 30th January 2008. The main functions of the new Office will be to establish an interdepartmental network to draw up and implement a Strategy for Positive Ageing; to bring greater coherence to the formulation of policy affecting older people at a cross-departmental...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Subventions: Nursing Home Subventions (30 Jan 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The Minister has noted the joint statement that issued from nine organisations on 27 November 2007 and intends to engage further with stakeholders in relation to the details of the Fair Deal scheme upon publication of the Bill providing for the scheme. This will take place under the auspices of Towards 2016.