Results 15,281-15,300 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 to 149, inclusive, together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 152, inclusive, together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the current decentralisation programme, the Department's Head Quarters, Social Welfare Appeals Office, Information and Communications Technology Division are designated to relocate to Drogheda. In addition, the Citizens Information Board is also scheduled to relocate to Drogheda. According to figures received from the Central Application Facility (CAF), through which all applications...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provided services to 10,838 new clients in the period to end August 2008. In addition, 1,641 people sought information about budgeting and money management. The MABS National Helpline received 6,457 calls to date in 2008. The majority of clients were on social welfare payments (59%), the highest numbers being 1,917 (18%) who were in receipt of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme and may involve, among other things, the need to establish the customer's social insurance record, verify medical incapacity for work, establish a...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228, 230 and 231 together. Current estimates, agreed between this Department and the Department of Finance, indicate that: A decrease in the employee PRSI rate from 4% to 2% would reduce Social Insurance Fund income by some €793 million in a full year; A decrease in the self-employed PRSI rate (Class S) from 3% to 2% would cost approximately €279 million...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy. Year 2007 2007 2008 â'¬ million â'¬ million â'¬ million Employers 5,730 5,762 6,144 Employees 1,465 1,539 1,655 Self-Employed 405 421 450 Total 7,600 7,722 8,249 Estimates for 2009 have not yet been finalised.

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

Mary Hanafin: A total of €1,634.3 million was provided in the 2008 Revised Estimates Volume for jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit this year. Expenditure to end July was €1,081 million. A revised estimate was not published in July 2008.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The one-parent family payment is a means tested scheme, therefore all income including personal and child maintenance payments and community employment earnings are assessable as means. In determining means from maintenance: Vouched housing costs such as rent or mortgage payments up to a maximum of €95.23 per week are disregarded. Thereafter, €1 is assessed as means for every €2...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) provides for a supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The purpose of mortgage interest supplement is to provide short term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: One of the fundamental qualifying conditions for carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant is that the person be providing full-time care and attention to a person who needs such care. Since the introduction of the carer's allowance scheme this full time care and attention requirement has been eased in order to facilitate carers in engaging in employment, education or...

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

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance on 2 July 2008 and on receipt of all the necessary information and documentation a decision has been made on her claim. Her claim has been disallowed on the grounds that she failed to satisfy the Deciding Officer that she has made genuine efforts in seeking work. In particular, she failed to submit any evidence of having made an...

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

Mary Hanafin: 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. One of the conditions for receipt of rent supplement is that the Executive must be satisfied that "the claimant is in need of accommodation and is unable to provide for it from his or her own resources"....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: 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 Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. She should contact the community welfare services if she wishes to make an application for...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The telephone allowance is a component of the household benefits package which 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 certain social welfare payments. The primary objective of the telephone allowance scheme is to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. The principal consideration in making a single payment of SWA to address...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Spouses working for self-employed contributors are specifically excepted from social insurance contributions. However, spouses who are actively engaged in a commercial partnership, including the operation of a farm, as opposed to simply being the joint owners of a property, are treated as individual self-employed contributors and are thus liable to social insurance contributions. On foot of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of a jobseeker's benefit payment since 16 June 2008 at the weekly rate of €197.80. Details of his partner's income are required in order to determine if an increase is payable in respect of a qualified child. He has been requested to provide this information, but has failed to do so. When the information is received, a decision will be made and he will...