Results 15,721-15,740 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Guardians' payment schemes allow for the provision of a weekly allowance to a guardian of a child who has either been orphaned or whose parents have abandoned and failed to provide for the child. Section 2(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 defines an orphan as a qualified child— a. both of whose parents are dead, or b. one of whose parents is dead or unknown or has...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Among the main objectives of the Department's child income support policies is the alleviation of poverty among families with children and the facilitation and encouragement of employment by parents, as it is recognised that employment by a parent is the best route out of poverty. The main policy instruments used for achieving these objectives are child benefit, increases in weekly social...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Regulations made under the Pensions Act 1990 prescribe the range of information that must be issued periodically to a pension scheme member. However, regulations do not require schemes to issue this information to former employees who still retain rights to deferred pensions on foot of their previous membership of an occupational pension. It is therefore only at retirement that such schemes...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has consistently publicised the Family Income Supplement (FIS) scheme in order to maximise uptake by qualified families. Significant improvements in the qualifying income limits and ongoing awareness campaigns have resulted in a strong upward trend in the level of new claims. There are currently over 26,000 families in receipt of FIS. In 2007 the Department received 36,900...

Written Answers — Attendance Management: Attendance Management (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In 2005 my Department introduced a comprehensive Attendance Management Policy which provides for the active management of absenteeism by, among other measures, highlighting the importance of good attendance to the Department in the delivery of its services and clearly setting out the duties and responsibilities of all staff and managers in this area. The objective of the Attendance...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I understand the information required by the Deputy is the total number of applications for Respite Care Grant received, by the end of October, for each of the years 2006 to 2008, together with the number allowed and the number refused. The information requested is detailed in tabular form as follows. Discrepancies between total applications received and those decided are due to the fact...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445, 447 and 480 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 carer's...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 472 together. The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As Deputies will be aware, the Government's decision to integrate the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office for Social Inclusion within my Department was informed by the findings of a review of the Combat Poverty Agency which was undertaken on foot of a Government Decision on the 6th of June 2007. As the Combat Poverty Agency is established under statute, legislative changes will be required...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 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 (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance (JA) and supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) pending a decision on his JA application, in September 2008. He has been asked by both social welfare local office staff and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department delivers a front-line service through a network of 61 Local Offices and 64 Branch Offices countrywide. The main services provided from these offices include jobseeker's payment, one-parent family payment and an information service. Branch Offices are operated under a contract for service and decisions on claims taken in Branch Offices are made in its departmental parent Local...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The expenditure incurred by my Department on compensation and legal fees combined for 2007 and 2008 is set out below. The elements of these payments of relating solely to legal costs are not recorded separately. These payments are paid on foot of agreed settlements or by reference to a Court decision. Year Compensation and Legal Fees/Settlements € 2007 293,561 2008 (end Oct.)...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The claim for jobseeker's benefit, by the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 10th September 2008 on the grounds that he left work voluntarily and that he is not available for full-time employment. An appeal was opened on 2nd October 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was awarded pension on 3 June 2008, backdated to 19 January 2007. She died on 12 July 2008, before the arrears of pension due to her had issued. The department has now established the details of the next of kin in this case and has arranged for the issue of all arrears. A cheque in the sum of €3,974 will issue to the next of kin in the coming week.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In common with most other social welfare measures announced in the recent budget increases in pensions will take effect from January 2009. In framing Budget 2009, the Government has prioritised delivering real increases in social welfare payments to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in our society are protected. Increases of between 3 % and 3.8 % in the basic payment rates have been...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department did not undertake any capital projects during the years in question. Capital expenditure incurred by the Department relates to the purchase of, and upgrades to, computer hardware and software along with network, desktop and other equipment.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An officer who retires or is removed from the civil service due to the abolition of his/her office or to Departmental reorganisation may, at the discretion of the Minister for Finance, be awarded a special severance gratuity in addition to pension and retirement lump sum, within statutory limits. This gratuity is also payable in certain circumstances to Secretaries-General of Government...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In assessing means for the purpose of farm assist account is taken of the following: Income from self-employment both from farming and off-farm; Income from insurable employment; Pensions from former employer or from another country; Savings and Investments; Income from property (excluding the family home). The income of both the farmer and his/her spouse is taken into account. While there...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The claim for disability allowance, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 11 September 2008 following an examination by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was opened on 24 September 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory...