Results 14,801-14,820 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The provision of adequate interpretation and document translation services is an important element in delivering a quality service to my Department's customers, particularly in the context of an increasing number of foreign nationals availing of social welfare services. In relation to social welfare appeals, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that it arranges for the...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 120 together. Rent Supplement is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the rent supplement 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 Code: Social Welfare Code (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Back to School clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in...

Written Answers — Community Welfare Service: Community Welfare Service (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 117, 133 and 138 together. The decision to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department follows on from recommendations made by the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Service. In its report, the Commission noted that over the years, the health system had been assigned responsibility...

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

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Rent supplement is subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant may incur. Rent limits are set at levels that enable the different eligible household types to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 132 together. The Department has recently received the One Family Strategy 2007 to 2009, and also the final report of their New Futures Project and found them both very worthwhile and informative. The Strategy document outlines the progress One Family aims to achieve by 2009 across the areas of client services, legal and policy change and attitudinal...

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

Mary Hanafin: Deciding Officers revise decisions when new evidence that affects entitlement comes to their attention. An overpayment arises where the revised decision is effective from a date in the past and may be due to mistakes having been made by the customer, a third party or by the department but may also be due to the customer making false or misleading statements or wilfully concealing material...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 174 together. In order to qualify for the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory), a person must, amongst other qualifying conditions, achieve a yearly average of at least 48 contributions paid or credited on his/her social insurance record over their working life. Reduced pensions are paid to those with yearly averages as low as 10...

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

Mary Hanafin: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as has been stated in this House on many occasions, a matter for each local authority. Local authorities operate under the auspices of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme as part of the household benefits scheme...

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

Mary Hanafin: The reference in the Social Welfare Appeals Office Report 2007 relates to a number of cases where Child Benefit claims were submitted outside of the specified time frame for so doing. The small number of Child Benefit claims referred to were paid from the month after receipt of the claim as provided for by Social Welfare legislation. EU legislation provides that in certain circumstances such...

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

Mary Hanafin: Improvements in social welfare supports are normally introduced by way of the annual Budget. Budget 2008 provided for increases in welfare rates of payment which are ahead of the projected increases in prices for 2008. These included: An increase in the maximum personal rates of contributory pension of €14, or6.7%, per week, and An increase of €12.00 per week, or 6.5%, in the lowest...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Green Paper on Pensions was published on the 17th October 2007, beginning a period of consultation on our pensions system which will continue until the end of May 2008. From time to time, the Department has received personal queries about people's State Pension entitlements through the channels set up to receive Green Paper submissions. Where this occurs, the Department refers the queries...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There are no plans at present to withdraw funds from the Social Insurance Fund.

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is committed to addressing homelessness in a comprehensive and co-ordinated manner. Substantial progress is being made under the Government's strategy on adult homelessness, in addressing the needs of people who are homeless and in assisting them to move to accommodation that is suitable to their needs. This has been done through the recognition that a solution to homelessness...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 176 together. Ireland has social security agreements with Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. These agreements came into effect between 1989 and 1999, except for that with the UK which covers the Isle of Man and Channel Islands and came into effect on 1st October 2007. Ireland also has a bilateral...

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

Mary Hanafin: The telephone allowance is a component of the household benefits package which also includes the electricity/gas allowance and free television license schemes. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The legislative provisions relating to late claims for social welfare benefits are set out in Section 241 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, and in Regulations made under that section. These provisions set out the times within which a person must claim, the disqualifications which apply where a late claim is made, and the circumstances in which the time limits may be extended....

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Increasing numbers of company directors are seeking formal insurability decisions as to their correct class of insurance, some of which have come to the attention of the Social Welfare Appeals Office. As a result the Appeals Office has proposed a change in social welfare legislation aimed at simplifying the classification of directors. The situation arises due to the fact that, while some...

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

Mary Hanafin: A key function of the Personal Advocacy Service will be to develop awareness and understanding of advocacy amongst people with disabilities and service providers. This will be done through a range of measures including engaging directly with disability representative groups, service providers and other voluntary and statutory organisations who deal with people with disabilities. The Personal...

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

Mary Hanafin: Guidelines detailing circumstances that may affect ongoing entitlement to invalidity pension and conditions to be observed for customers claiming or receiving the pension are forwarded to customers in advance of the award of invalidity pension claims, and a signed declaration acknowledging observation of these guidelines must be returned to my Department prior to the award of payment. These...