Results 16,281-16,300 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is correct in saying that of the eight most difficult waiting times in offices, seven are in branch offices. The reason for that, however, is because the decisions are made in the parent office and extra staffing is going into those parent offices.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Whereas I accept there are some offices â just eight in total, I think â where there are quite long waiting times of about ten weeks, in very many other offices the process takes just over a week or maybe two weeks. It is important we acknowledge that.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: In those areas where there is particular pressure, additional staff have been allocated and are being trained. More staff are also moving across from other Departments. The fact we are not recruiting people from outside the public sector but that the people are moving from other offices to our Department will help to speed up the process. We have also requested the Department of Finance to...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: It is important to acknowledge that even in those areas where there are delays in processing the applications, people who are in need of money are not left without it. The community welfare officers pay within a week and continue to pay until the claim is processed.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I appreciate that community welfare officers are under difficulty, but there is a strong message to send, that even though there are delays in processing in a few areas around the country, nobody in need of money is left without it.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy has referred to two different questions. With regard to carers, the point I made was that the Department of Social and Family Affairs makes the payment to them, but it is the Department of Health and Children that provides respite care, home help, etc.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is responsible for ensuring that the â¬20 billion of taxpayers' money goes to the most vulnerable in society. That is a budget we aim to protect.
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 162 together. As the House is aware, the Green Paper on pensions was published in October 2007 and this was followed by a lengthy consultation process which concluded at the end of May 2008. The consultation was very successful as it showed that there is a great demand for pensions reform. Unfortunately, there was little consensus on the type of...
- Written Answers — Carers Strategy: Carers Strategy (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 119 together. In January 2008 a working group, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, was established to develop the National Carers Strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group which also includes representatives of the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and Enterprise, Trade and Employment as well as FÃS and the...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 116, 122, 140, 143, 144, 147, 152, 156, 158 and 161 together. The pension rights of scheme members are protected through trust law and by provision in the Pensions Act 1990 as amended. As supplementary pension schemes are usually established under irrevocable trust, the assets of the scheme are legally separate from the assets of the employer and are not...
- Written Answers — Public Service Expenditure: Public Service Expenditure (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 126, 157 and 164 together. The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes was established by the Minister for Finance to examine current expenditure programmes in each Department and to make recommendations for reducing public service numbers so as to ensure a return to sustainable public finances. The Group will make periodic...
- Written Answers — Family Income Supplement: Family Income Supplement (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The family income supplement scheme (FIS), which provides income support for employees on low earnings with families, is designed to preserve the incentive to move from welfare to (or remain in) employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. Since its introduction concern has been expressed from...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 133 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. These included proposals for the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents, focused provision of childcare and the introduction of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: There are 7,538 claimants on the farm assist scheme at present; of which 76 are new claims awarded since 1 January 2009. The average weekly payment is â¬219.60. There has been a steady decline in uptake of the farm assist scheme. This is due to the significant increase in off-farm employment in recent years and the take up of the Rural Social Scheme which is operated by the Department of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The target for jobseeker's benefit is that 85% of claims will be processed within 2 weeks. For jobseeker's allowance the target is 70% in two weeks. During December, 69% of jobseeker's benefit claims were decided within 2 weeks and 40% of jobseeker's allowance claims were decided within 2 weeks. However, these figures must be viewed in the context that there has been a 71% increase in the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. The Department makes payments to over one million people every week and the vast majority of them are receiving the entitlement due to them. Where overpayments occur the Department seeks to recover the overpayments and in cases of serious fraud, the Department will use...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I understand the Deputy is mainly concerned with the assessment of income derived from payments (e.g. pensions) received from other EU Member States for the purposes of means-tested payments provided by my Department. There is no necessity to engage with the EU Commission on this issue, as the current EU rules would allow for different method of calculation in such cases. Article 107 of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The family income supplement scheme (FIS), which provides income support for employees on low earnings with families, is designed to preserve the incentive to take up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. Under the current provisions, a separated or divorced parent can...
- Written Answers — Mortgage Interest Supplement: Mortgage Interest Supplement (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 163 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the 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 sole...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The recent changes to the duration of the payment of jobseeker's benefit are necessary to control expenditure on the scheme by aligning the contribution conditions for these benefits more closely to the level and duration of the benefits being provided. The changes are designed to ensure a uniform, rationalised, approach across the short-term social insurance schemes. The back to education...