Results 16,481-16,500 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Policy matters in relation to the Early Childcare Supplement are a matter for the Minister for the Health and Children in the first instance. The Department of Social and Family Affairs, through the social welfare system, provides significant support to families with children. The Child Benefit programme, which is paid on a universal basis is the main child income support programme. It...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (3 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: All newly appointed Branch Managers are appointed on an initial twelve month contract. Subject to the provision of satisfactory service a permanent contract to age 65 may be awarded. In some instances specific time bound contracts have also been awarded. There is provision in all contracts for the review of arrangements for delivery of services. During the period in question, the contracts...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The claim for disability allowance, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 24 October 2008 following an examination by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. He appealed this decision on 10 November 2008 and he was examined by a second Medical Assessor on 16 December 2008 who also expressed...

Departmental Strategy Statements. (4 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Caring for another person, especially on a full-time basis, can have a huge impact on the carer and his or her family. While it can be a very rewarding experience, it often involves sacrifices, particularly in employment opportunities, and it can also affect the carer's own health. While the work of carers can be unseen, the important and valuable role played by them in society has been...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (4 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the 10 new EU Member States, without the transitional limitations which were imposed at that time by most...

Written Answers — Carer's Strategy: Carer's Strategy (4 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: During 2008 an interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with secretariat support provided by my Department, undertook work to develop a national carers strategy. Unfortunately, in the current economic climate it is not possible to consider introducing any developments in services for carers at this time. In that context, rather than publishing a document which does...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Mar 2009)

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 extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents, focused provision of child care and the introduction of a new social assistance payment for low income...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (4 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Under the PRSI system social insurance contributions are compulsorily payable by employers and employed and self-employed workers. Employees contributions are determined by reference to reckonable earnings in a weekly period, and are subject to a range of thresholds and an annual ceiling. Approximately 76 per cent of workers pay PRSI Class A and Class H at the rate of 4 per cent and accrue...

Departmental Staff. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of the significant increase in the number of people applying for jobseeker's payment during the past year. Between February 2008 and February 2009, the live register increased by approximately 165,000 people or more than 87%. Staff in social welfare local offices are working extremely hard and productivity increased by 74% between the last quarter of 2007 and the...

Departmental Staff. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: CWOs come under the HSE, even though they use money from my Department's budget. I appreciate that they are under a great deal of pressure but the HSE has put together a business case for additional officers that must be considered in the context of overall numbers in the public service. To date, we have not had a difficulty with the Department of Finance in seeking additional staff...

Departmental Staff. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I do not have the full details but the number of facilitators has increased since last July.

Departmental Staff. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I did not say they would be in place by February. More facilitators will be provided under the national development plan, NDP. I am open to correction but the number has increased by 20 since July. Under the NDP, 50 additional facilitators were to be deployed. They are facilitating the back to education and back to work schemes. The difference in the assessments conducted by the community...

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The security of occupational pension schemes is of paramount importance to the Government. Trust law, under which most pension schemes are established, ensures that the assets of the scheme are legally separate from the assets of the employer and are not available to other creditors should an employer become insolvent. Trustees of occupational pension schemes have responsibility for...

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As I have indicated, we anticipate that approximately 90% of the funds are in deficit, but whether the level is 25% of 50% will not be known until actuarial certificates are submitted.

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The figure could be as high as €30 billion, a significant amount of money. I can understand people's concerns about their pension schemes. Pensions are well regulated under trust law and the Pensions Acts, but there is scope for a tightening of regulation as has occurred in other areas, such as in the financial arena where regulation was not as tight as necessary. Defined benefit schemes...

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Commission has not started its assessment of the requirements on individual countries.

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: When the Commission reviewed the transposition of Article 8 of the directive, it——

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: ——gave an assurance that Ireland had adequately transposed the provision. The implications of the Robbins judgment are being assessed fully by the Commission to discern whether it places additional obligations on member states.

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Robbins case was taken in the UK, not——

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: ——by Irish workers. When the EU assessed the transposition of the directive, it stated that Ireland had, at the time, done so adequately. The Robbins ruling is being assessed to discern what additional obligations exist. The case was taken in the UK, not in Ireland.