Results 14,721-14,740 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Government discussion paper, Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents, put forward proposals for the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents; the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents; focused provision of childcare; improved information services for lone parents and the introduction of a new social...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government commits to implementing significant improvements in both the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and the School Meals schemes. There have been significant improvements to both schemes in recent years. The rates of back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) have been increased significantly. Since 2005, the allowance has increased from â¬80...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The commitment in the programme for Government to which the Deputy refers is being advanced in the context of housing policy. Housing supports in general are provided by local authorities but the Department provides income maintenance support where required in particular circumstances. Mortgage interest supplement provides income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over and to people receiving certain disability or care payments. Following extension of the free travel scheme on an "all Island" basis proposals were put forward to extend the scheme to Irish born people living abroad and those receiving pensions from my Department. Officials of the Department have been...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 and 334 together. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The MABS has a unique and expert contribution to make in meeting the needs of people with debt difficulties in today's society. This includes...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Disability allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66 years. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to both a medical examination and a means test. The person concerned applied for Disability Allowance on the 17 April 2008. The Medical Assessor determined that an examination would be...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned is in direct provision accommodation provided by the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. People in direct provision are not regarded as being habitually resident in the state and are not entitled to any social welfare payment which is subject to the habitual residence condition.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to parenting. Child Benefit and Maternity Benefit are the most direct financial provisions within the remit of my Department in this regard. Child Benefit, a universal payment, is paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years â and it continues to be paid in respect of children up to the age of 19 years who are either in full-time...
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities to facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active workforce. The back to education allowance is one of these second chance education opportunities schemes. It is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to...
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: This is a very positive scheme given that 8,090 people are currently availing of it. Some 3,359 people are participating in second level education while 4,731 are participating in third level education. It is very much targeted at those in receipt of social welfare payments. The scheme is specifically for such people and not for those on low incomes. People on low incomes who qualify for...
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: It is designed to ensure that it gives people the opportunity to go to education which would open the door for them to employment. The fact that more than 8,000 people are benefiting from the scheme means we are definitely targeting those on the live register as more than 5,500 of those people are on the live register. There are no plans to extend the scheme to those on low incomes.
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The commitment to the scheme is shown by the fact that â¬70.8 million is being spent on it. It is important there are schemes targeted at people on social welfare. That is not to say there should not be other schemes targeted at people on low incomes. Part of the programme for Government seeks to ensure a free fees initiative for part-time courses.
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: It is part of the programme for Government. We are only one year into the programme.
- Education Schemes. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: This is a new initiative, which is also part of social partnership, to try to target those who did not get an opportunity to participate in third level education. It was piloted in Tallaght Institute of Technology last September and it will be extended in the autumn. It will specifically target the people about whom the Deputy spoke, namely, those who did not benefit from higher education,...
- Anti-Poverty Strategy. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a proud tradition of supporting and championing the rights of the poorest members of our society. I am aware it recently expressed concerns about increased demands on its supports and services in the Dublin area. I draw attention to the fact that people who are experiencing immediate financial emergencies can avail of the community welfare service which...
- Anti-Poverty Strategy. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I urge anybody who requires exceptional or urgent need payments, such as expenses relating to children, to seek the assistance available. Some â¬76 million has been set aside in this year's budget for that type of hardship payment. I hope people do not feel they have to depend on an organisation like the St. Vincent de Paul for that assistance. Food inflation has been significant over the...
- Anti-Poverty Strategy. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: There is no need for a supplementary budget at this stage. We encourage people, if necessary, to approach their community welfare officer to ensure they are getting the full benefit of schemes such as the family income supplement. Although there has been an increase in the number of people taking up family income supplement, it has not been adopted to full capacity yet. Perhaps some of the...
- Community Welfare Service. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: In February 2006, as part of its reform of the health sector, the Government decided that the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, SWA scheme, as well as certain other functions, would transfer to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Provision has been made in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2008 for the transfer of the administration of SWA to the...
- Community Welfare Service. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: In response to the first question, in addition to dealing with the administration of social welfare schemes, community welfare officers are also engaged in health and personal social services work, which includes means assessment for medical cards and nursing home subventions. These latter functions will remain with the HSE when the community welfare service transfers. It was on the basis...
- Community Welfare Service. (14 May 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I do not know. If there is an answer I will get it for Deputy Enright.