Results 16,001-16,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I will certainly consult the groups that have represented the elderly over the years. The issue will arise as to whether certain individuals should be given a lump sum of â¬300 or â¬400 in September, and another after Christmas. It would be up to the groups to advise on whether this is best for some particularly vulnerable individuals. We must weigh up the pros and cons. One matter that...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: It has been policy for a number of years in my Department not to increase the living alone allowance but to put all the increases into primary payments so that all pensioners benefit. I fully accept that a person who suddenly finds himself or herself in the position of living alone has all the expenses as were outlined. The house does not become any smaller and must be heated etc. The...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: ââit was not done at that stage. It is still reasonable to expect that people should pay that minimum amount of money towards the very substantial supplement they receive.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As Deputies know, I am usually committed to the back to education concept for everybody, particularly those who are most vulnerable and those on social welfare. One of the few positive features of the live register published yesterday was the 24% increase in the number of people availing of back to education provisions. The fact there may be more at second level rather than third level is...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Deputies should be aware that if these people start at second level, they will be able to continue on to third level. The provisions allow them greater opportunities because they are the group most likely to remain unemployed, particularly if they do not even have a leaving certificate.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I do not accept the criteria should be reduced to three months. I have said this before, but it is significant. This is a scheme that is in place to support people who are on social welfare. If we changed the provisions, we could get young people finishing their leaving certificate in June and signing on for three months and getting â¬200 a week despite the fact they fully intended to go...
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: This must be a scheme that is designed to support people on social welfare. We must obviously consider people in the context of those getting statutory redundancy. Few enough have got statutory redundancy, but, unfortunately, as numbers increase, we will draw their attention to the fact that they are the people who can qualify immediately.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: People on the national employment action plan also have a shorter timeframe. I am working with my colleagues, the Ministers for Education and Science and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with regard to FÃS and the spare capacity in the institutes of technology, universities and further education courses to see how we can support these people. It can be done through FÃS and through...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. 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...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), is designed to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State scheme. A number of categories are specifically excluded from receiving SWA i.e. people in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Green Paper on Pensions sets out and discusses a range of issues that have been raised from time to time in relation to state pensions and their coverage. Following the completion of the Green Paper consultation process, a framework for future policy on all aspects of pensions is being developed. The qualifying conditions for state pensions are an important element in this process but...
- Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The development of a National Carers' Strategy is a key Government commitment in both the national partnership agreement Towards 2016 and the Programme for Government. A working group, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, is working on developing the strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group which also includes representatives of the Departments of...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 133 to 138, inclusive, together. The overall number of active defined benefit schemes registered with the Pensions Board at the end of 2007 was 1,319. The number of active defined contribution schemes was 98,483. The active membership of these schemes at that time was 530,933 and 269,465 respectively. The Pensions Act provides for a minimum Funding Standard...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. A mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance from January 2008 to 28 October 2008. Payment ceased when he failed to sign the Live Register on the appointed day (23 October 2008) and thereby failed to prove he was unemployed from that date. He made a repeat claim on 10 November 2008 and the claim was disallowed on the grounds that he had failed to submit any evidence of his...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 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 Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Dec 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 following tabular statement shows the number of recipients of supplementary welfare allowance in Waterford City and County from 2003 to date. The total number of exceptional needs payments issued under the supplementary welfare...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Further to my response to PQ 39354/08 on 11 November 2008, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the person concerned was notified on 1 December 2008 that his case has been referred to an Appeals Officer and that it is proposed to hold an oral appeal hearing. A time and date has not yet been arranged for the hearing, but every effort is being made to have the case dealt with...
- Written Answers — Departmental Travel: Departmental Travel (9 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: All foreign travel booked for delegates representing the Department are in compliance with the Department of Finance guidelines. A Departmental Travel Policy document, based upon the Department of Finance guidelines, exists to guide staff booking foreign travel. This document is updated on an ongoing basis, in order to ensure continued compliance. The five statutory bodies operating under...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned had received his maximum entitlement to 390 days jobseeker's benefit on 22 November 2008. He had been advised to apply for jobseeker's allowance in advance of this date. He informed his local office on 28 October 2008 that he did not wish to do so. He applied for jobseeker's allowance on 18 November 2008. Arrangements have been made to have an assessment of his means...