Results 15,121-15,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The living alone increase is an additional payment of â¬7.70 per week made to people aged 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 receiving payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The policy in relation to support for older people...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. Under the current programme of decentralisation, 85 posts in the Department are to be relocated to Carrickmacross and in excess of 90 applications have been received to date to move there. The Office of Public Works is charged with securing accommodation in Carrickmacross for this Department. They have advised that they are still...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. This Department's role is to assist social welfare recipients with heating costs, both through their basic payments and through the household benefits package with fuel, electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The National Pensions Awareness Campaign has been run by the Pensions Board on behalf of the Department annually since 2003. A total of â¬1million has been provided to support the campaign in 2008. The campaign has been very successful in creating and maintaining a high level of awareness amongst the general public in relation to pensions issues. The allocation of resources for a campaign...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the needs of older people have been a priority for Government for many years and very significant improvements have been made in social welfare pensions. The rate of contributory pension has increased from â¬147.30 per week in 2002 to more than â¬223 per week in 2008 and the non-contributory pension has increased from â¬134.00 per week in 2002 to â¬212 per...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 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 provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Green Paper on Pensions, published on 17 October 2007, sets out a comprehensive discussion on the issues relating to both social welfare and occupational pensions. The purpose of the Green Paper is not to recommend any particular approach, but rather to facilitate a debate on the issues and possible approaches to future policy. With regard to private and occupational pensions, the Green...
- Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: There will not be anyone visiting Beijing in an official capacity from this Department during the Olympic Games.
- Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested is currently being compiled and a reply will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: During the course of the debate last night I indicated that the Department of Social and Family Affairs would be able to generate savings of over â¬3 million this year on information and technology projects. I should have indicated that the figure is â¬1 million, but the overall figure I provided remains the same.
- Written Answers — Farm Assist Scheme: Farm Assist Scheme (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Farm Assist is a stand-alone statutory scheme which replaced the 'small-holders' unemployment assistance arrangements. The scheme represents a long-term safety net for low income farmers, as recipients retain all the advantages of the jobseeker's allowance scheme (formerly unemployment assistance), e.g. retention of secondary benefits and access to active labour market programmes, while...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: According to the Department's records the person concerned is currently in receipt of family income supplement. He was initially awarded â¬22 per week from 13th March 08 but, on provision of further information, a revised decision was made on 11th June awarding â¬34 per week from 13th March 2008. This rate was put into payment from 19th June and arrears due were lodged to his bank...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: My Department currently operates the occupational injuries scheme which provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has contracted that disease in the course of their employment. Where a person has contracted one of the diseases listed in the legislation, benefits are payable if they were...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: My Department's activities require the engagement of a range of external expertise including consultancy. In the main external expertise is sought to support the Department with a number of strategic multi-annual programmes aimed at enhancing the delivery of the services to customers e.g. the Service Delivery Modernisation Programme (SDM), and to provide specialist assistance relating to the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested is currently being compiled within the Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The number of recipients and expenditure on mortgage interest and local authority mortgage interest supplement for 2008 is shown in the attached tabular statement. Recipients and Expenditure on Mortgage Interest Supplement and Local Authority Mortgage Interest Supplement 2008 Mortgage Interest Supplement Local Authority Mortgage Interest Supplement Recipients* Expenditure** Recipients*...
- Written Answers — Live Register: Live Register (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: A breakdown by duration on the live register (by age and gender) is published twice yearly by the CSO. The data is provided by the Department and details, by scheme, as at 18th April 2008 are given in Table 1 below. While details of nationality are captured in the claim-taking process, they are not recorded in a manner that facilitates a breakdown by duration on the live register. Details of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Rent supplements are subject to a statutory limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for supplement may incur. The Executive has advised that in March 2008 the person concerned was informed that the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for a jobseeker's allowance payment on 18 June 2008. His claim is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for assessment of his means. Following completion of the Social Welfare Inspector's report, a decision will be made and he will be notified of the outcome. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers...
- Written Answers — National Employment Action Plan: National Employment Action Plan (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: A high level group, comprising officials from the Department, officials from Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÃS, was established in March 2007 to advance the implementation of the commitments on activation and participation as set out in Towards 2016. The group held meetings on 3 occasions in 2007 and once in 2008. The next meeting of the group is scheduled for later in...