Results 15,081-15,100 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal from the person concerned was disallowed by an Appeals Officer who concluded, having considered all the evidence, that she was not providing full-time care and attention. Following representations from the Deputy and a further review of the case, based on the contents of the Deputy's letter, the Appeals Officer has indicated...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 200 together. This Department's role is to assist social welfare recipients with heating costs, both through their basic payments and through the fuel allowance scheme and the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The national fuel allowance scheme assists...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear allowance 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 receipt of a...

Written Answers — : (2 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The national fuel allowance scheme was introduced in 1987 as a result of a Government decision to rationalise the Urban and National Fuel Schemes which existed at that time. The scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive payments, with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The smokeless fuel allowance scheme was introduced...

Written Answers — Advocacy Service: Advocacy Service (2 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Sanction was sought from the Department of Finance in June, 2007 for 10 posts as it is proposed to establish the Personal Advocacy Service on a phased basis. This included the post of Director of Personal Advocacy Service as well as the staffing required to allow the service to commence operation. Provision was made within the funding provided to the Citizen Information Board in 2008 to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The following table shows the number of recipients of rent supplement nationally and in the Dublin 15 area by nationality. A breakdown of the number of recipients on rent supplement by household composition is not available. Recipients of rent supplement in Dublin 15 and nationally, by nationality Dublin 15 Nationally Nationality End 2005 End 2006 End 2007 27/06/2008 End 2005 End 2006...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Disability Allowance is a weekly Allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to both medical assessment and a means test. The person concerned made an application for disability allowance on 30 May 2007. He was deemed medically suitable for disability...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested is given in the following tabular statements. Table A sets out the 2008 monthly schedule of planned expenditure for Vote 38 and Table B sets out the corresponding expenditure and income schedule for the Social Insurance Fund. Given the demand led nature of the Department's schemes and the difficulties associated with scheduling expenditure on weekly schemes into a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the Government's current decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,200 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal Town, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) and Citizens Information Board (CIB)...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: One of the qualifying conditions for entitlement to jobseeker's benefit is that the claimant must have sustained a substantial loss of employment and earnings. This occurs where a person has lost at least one day's work per week in comparison with their normal level of employment, together with a reduction in earnings. When making a decision as to whether a person has sustained a...

Written Answers — Efficiency Reviews: Efficiency Reviews (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A wide ranging review of the operations of the Department and the bodies under its aegis was undertaken by a group of officials of the Department. The group brought forward a number of proposals, some of which have been finalised and are in the course of being implemented while others require further consideration and development. This ongoing process will inform the development of the 2009...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The number of staff in my Department who have received or are receiving support to participate in post graduate educational courses in the years 2004 to 2008 inclusive is 51 people. The breakdown of this figure is as follows: Academic year No. of staff 2003/2004 8 2004/2005 19 2005/2006 9 2006/2007 5 2007/2008 10

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department provides a range of supports to assist unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed, lone parents, and sickness related welfare recipients to return to the active labour market either by taking up employment or becoming self-employed. The main welfare to work measure for the unemployed is the National Employment Action Plan (EAP). Under the EAP, people who are...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 539 together. Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE) as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means...

Written Answers — Live Reigster: Live Reigster (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 529 together. The data requested is not held by the Department in the format specified. Live Register figures are collated by local office of registration. The live register is published monthly by the Central Statistics Office and it includes a breakdown by region, county and social welfare local office. The live register and a range of related...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The number of recipients and expenditure on mortgage interest supplement for 2008 and in each of the past 5 years is shown in the following tabular statement. Recipients and Expenditure on Mortgage Interest Supplement Year Recipients Expenditure â'¬000 2003 3,933 7,663 2004 3,318 6,333 2005 3,220 6,339 2006 3,424 7,873 2007 4,111 12,198 2008 *5,203 **8,135 *27 June 2008. **End...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 to 533, inclusive, together. Since my appointment as Minister for Social and Family Affairs on 7th May 2008, I have appointed, on a contract basis for my term of office, a Special Adviser, Ms. Averil Power whose salary is €94,740 per annum, and a Press Officer, Ms. Geraldine Butler whose salary is €71,814 per annum. There are three established civil...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. The operational arrangements for the processing of applications and the payment to qualifying...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was carried out as part of the Government's Expenditure Review Initiative series of Programme Evaluation reviews. Given the extensive and complex nature of the scheme, the review was undertaken in two phases. A report was published at the end of the first phase in December 2004. That report gave a broad appraisal of the scheme and...