Results 14,781-14,800 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There is no crisis.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is not fair to say the employment situation has gone out of control, far from it as more jobs continue to be created than are lost each time. Having said that, these activation policies to engage with people coming on the live register are a major part of our policy. Facilitators interview them and work with them. During the first two months of this year 9,400 people were referred to...

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Of that figure, 4,270 were interviewed and not placed, 1,332 remained on the register and the rest, which is more than 3,000, came off the live register.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It shows there is potential. When I entered the Department the first thing I saw was a big sign stating "Interviews for facilitators" on the same floor as the Minister's office. The Department will employ 30 more to actively engage with these people quickly to enable them to take up other options.

Written Answers — Departmental Applications: Departmental Applications (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The staff and other resources available to the Department are regularly reviewed having regard to the workload arising and other competing demands. The available resources are then deployed to...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Funding Standard provided for in the Pensions Act 1990, measures the solvency of defined benefit pension schemes. Generally speaking, this requires that pension schemes have sufficient assets to discharge their liabilities in the event that the scheme is wound up. Schemes are required to carry out a full actuarial assessment of the funding position every three years and an interim...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 93 together. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Child benefit is a monthly payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to and including 18 years where they are in full-time education, or where they have a physical or mental disability. Prior to April of this year child benefit continued to be paid to the birth parent where a child was placed in foster care, regardless...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment made to all persons providing full-time care, regardless of means or PRSI contribution record, but subject to certain statutory conditions. These conditions relate primarily to employment outside the home, the provision of full time care as set out in legislation, and the medically certified need for such care. The Grant is payable from the first...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office, which was established in 1990, acts as an independent and separately managed office of my Department. The Office was set up in response to concerns about a perceived lack of independence and, also, in line with a commitment in the Programme for National Recovery. Prior to 1990, appeals were made to the Minister and the appeals process was administered by...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Where a person has social insurance contributions from another EEA country, or a country with which Ireland has a bi-lateral agreement, these can be used to qualify a person for a pension. The manner in which contributions from EEA countries are to be used is laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and the same general principles are applied in the reciprocal agreements Ireland has with a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95, 104, 105 and 131 together. The Maternity Benefit scheme has been significantly improved, notably in the last few years, in terms of both the duration of the payment and the level at which it is paid. Budget 2006 provided for Maternity Benefit payments to be extended from 18 to 22 weeks. Following further extension of 4 weeks in Budget 2007 the period of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 100 and 101 together. The rent supplement scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department currently operates a range of schemes for people with an illness or disability including the insurance based illness benefit scheme, the occupational injury benefit scheme for those who are unable to work because of an accident or illness suffered at work and the means-tested disability allowance scheme. Farm operators normally pay Class A social insurance contributions and...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 114 and 129 together. The development of a National Carers' Strategy is a key Government commitment in both the national partnership agreement "Towards 2016" and the Programme for Government. A working group, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, has begun work on developing the strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 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 — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the 10 new EU Member States, without the transitional limitations which were imposed at that time by most...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In 2004 the Citizens Information Board in preparation for forthcoming legislation commissioned research from Goodbody Economic Consultants on, Developing an Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. The report which was launched in July 2004 proposed a three-stranded approach: 1. The establishment of a Personal Advocacy Service to be provided directly by the Citizens Information Board...

Written Answers — Personal Advocacy Service: Personal Advocacy Service (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The introduction of a personal advocacy service as provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007, is a priority for my Department. An organisational structure has been developed by the Citizens Information Board to meet the needs of the Personal Advocacy Service (PAS). Discussions between my Department, the Department of Finance and the Citizens Information Board are ongoing in relation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 108, 110 and 111 together. 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...