Results 15,441-15,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Social Welfare Benefits. (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Vincentian Partnership research, which I have read, was a valuable contribution in our consideration of the budget as was the forum which we held with all of the organisations involved. There has been no increase in the living alone allowance since 1996 because the emphasis has been on increasing basic rates of payment. With a pot of â¬515 million, the amount allocated to the social...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The defence is that a social welfare package of â¬515 million has been provided for under the current budget. In dividing this money, we had to ensure the basic payments this year were as generous as possible. To target this in any other way would have required me to take from other recipients.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Many people living alone also qualify for the fuel allowance which was increased by â¬2 per week and extended for two weeks.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Many people who are living alone also qualify for the fuel allowance and as such are benefiting from that.
- Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 163 together. Combating poverty and building an inclusive society are key priorities for the Government. The overall goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion) introduced in February 2007 is to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2 per cent and 4 per cent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating...
- Written Answers — Combat Poverty Agency: Combat Poverty Agency (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 126 and 182 together. As Deputies will be aware, a review of the Combat Poverty Agency was undertaken on foot of a Government Decision on the 6th of June 2007. The purpose of the review was to examine the role of the Agency in light of the emergence since 1986 of comprehensive strategies and new institutional arrangements to promote social...
- Written Answers — Personal Advocacy Service: Personal Advocacy Service (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 135 and 176 together. The statutory basis for the introduction of a personal advocacy service under the Citizens Information Board (CIB) was provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007. However, having regard to the current budgetary circumstances, it will not be possible to proceed with this next year. The provision of an advocacy service remains...
- Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 131 together. The Department undertakes advertising and awareness activities to ensure that all members of the public are made aware of their rights and entitlements and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur. The amount spent on advertising and awareness activities in any one year is determined...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 130 together. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent companies nationwide with over 240 money advice staff operating the service. Almost â¬18 million has been provided in...
- Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I share Deputies' concerns about the impact of rising fuel and energy costs. My own priority, as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, is to ensure that Government assistance is available to those who need our help the most, older people, those with disabilities or serious illnesses, and people on low incomes. Government policy in recent years, has focused on increasing primary social...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 137 and 152 together. There is no delay in processing the majority of Child Benefit applications. Awards on behalf of Irish born children are processed either automatically or in a partially automated way using the child's birth details when they are registered with the General Registrar's Office. The average processing time for these claims is 10...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Over 45,500 rent supplements have been awarded since January 2008. In recent years, a significant number of people...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals to tackle obstacles to employment for lone parents and other low income families. These included 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...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: In the recent Budget, the Government's main priorities are: to restore order and stability in the public finances; to increase productivity and competitiveness; and to protect those who are most vulnerable in our country. In his speech on Budget Day, the Minister for Finance announced that the expected rate of inflation for 2009 would be 2.5%. In Budget 2009, all weekly income maintenance...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 165 and 175 together. The 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 — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Social welfare spending has been prioritised in this Budget. Next year, total funding for the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be â¬19.6 billion. This represents an increase of â¬2.6 billion or 15.5% over the Estimates allocation for 2008. Over 1.7 million people and their dependents will benefit from this expenditure. Unfortunately, it has been necessary to take some steps to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Since its establishment in 2007, the Sign Language Interpretation Service has been allocated funding of â¬300,000 for each of the years 2007 and 2008 from the Citizens Information Board. The 2007 allocation was fully utilised by SLIS and it is expected that the full allocation for 2008 will also be required. The service is a national service providing a limited number of sign language...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129, 166 and 171 together. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to cover the cost of sending children to school, rather, as the name suggests, it is intended to assist with clothing and...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 156 together. The Pensions Act provides for a minimum Funding Standard which defined benefit pension schemes must meet on an ongoing basis. Generally speaking, the Standard requires that schemes maintain sufficient assets to enable them to discharge accrued liabilities in the event of a scheme winding up. Where schemes do not satisfy the Funding...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (21 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 149 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals to tackle obstacles to employment for lone parents and other low income families. Under the proposals the lone parenthood category of payment would no longer exist. Instead, a new payment would be made to all parents (living alone or with a...