Results 15,601-15,620 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 2 May 2008 by a Deciding Officer of the Department following an examination by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that the person concerned was not incapable of work. An appeal was opened on 16 May 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: All applicants regardless of nationality, from 1 May 2004, are required to be habitually resident in the State in order to qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance, child benefit and certain social welfare assistance payments. The Dublin Mid-Leinster Area of the Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned was refused supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement on...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: In the Budget, I announced that the age of eligibility for entitlement to Disability Allowance (DA) would be increased from 16 to 18 years for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2009. As an alleviating measure, the age for entitlement to the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) would be increased from 16 to 18 years from the same date. These measures were estimated to save â¬5.6...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has an Attendance Management policy in place since 2005. As part of the process of preparing this policy, the Department researched examples of best practice available in Irish and UK organisations. The inclusion in the Policy of practices such as return to work interviews, a Health Promotion Policy and supports for staff who are returning to work after a long term illness...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Since July 2008, additional control measures have been introduced with a view to achieving savings of â¬25 million from the detection or avoidance of fraud. These measures target the jobseeker's allowance and benefit schemes, one parent family payment and child benefit schemes. This year, the option to review payments by electronic fund transfer was removed for new claimants for jobseeker...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is correct that it is important to continue to have strong control measures. As money becomes more scarce, we must ensure that it is targeted at the right people. A total of 620 staff members throughout the country are involved in control in some form. The Deputy referred to the rule for signing on each week as having some impact. Other segments being targeted are the 18 to 25...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: When tackling fraud one must use methods of prevention, detection, deterrence and debt recovery. All of those methods can be used before ever resorting to prosecution.
- Social Welfare Fraud. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Every effort is made at all stages to try to recover any moneys which have been overpaid. So far this year, 235 cases of general claims have been sent to the Chief State Solicitor's office. We do not wish to go down the road of taking prosecutions against people but debt recovery is probably the most important. We will continue to ensure that good control measures are in place.
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Child benefit is paid for all children up to the age of 16 years and also for children up to the age of 19 years who continue in full-time education and for children with a disability. Child benefit is tax free and is not affected by the level of income of the claimant. The rates of child benefit have increased very significantly since 2001, by over 200% for the first and second child and by...
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: We appreciate it is always very difficult for any family to have to take a financial hit.
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Unfortunately, when one is faced with the current economic situation and financial pressures, and given that the budget of my Department is â¬19.5 billion, we are under pressure to find money to protect the people who will lose their jobs and their families. The money had to be found somewhere. We looked at the figures and realised that the Deputy is incorrect. The vast majority of...
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Certainly not. I wish to correct the Deputy's statement. In the leaving certificate cohort of 2007, some 35,900 were under the age of 18 and 14,000 were 18 years. Many of those would have turned 18 between April and June of that year so, in effect, they would have completed their second level education. That is not completing education, which I fully accept. The Deputy is also incorrect...
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is incorrect. It is not the majority.
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Increasingly, we are seeing that the completion rate of people in second level schools is at 86%, which is encouraging, although of course it would need to go higher. It is also the case, although I would like to see it otherwise, that schools that qualify for disadvantaged status for the most part do not offer transition year. Many of the students who would be completing their education at...
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the low income families are the people who are protected for next year and the year after.
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The compensatory factors which have been introduced to support those people who are on social welfareââ
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I understand that. The last paragraph of the reply I gave to the Deputy set out exactly what the compensatory measures were. The final line wasââ
- Child Support. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: If I may, the final line of the answer states: "These transitional measures will cease in January 2011". The figures I have given show that approximately 10,000 students are 18 years of age when doing their leaving certificate. All others are under the age of 18 or have just reached it coming up to the examinations.
- Social Welfare Code. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: In the social welfare budget, I announced that the age of eligibility for entitlement to disability allowance would be increased from 16 to 18 years for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2009. As an alleviating measure, the age for entitlement to the domiciliary care allowance would be increased from 16 to 18 years from the same date. These measures were estimated to save â¬5.6...
- Social Welfare Code. (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I met the six groups to which the Deputy referred and, as I noted in my reply, those whom I met have not contested the principle of this, either then or subsequently. If anybody in the House would look at this, they would realise it is a valid principle not to make a social welfare payment to a person at 16 years of age.