Results 16,541-16,560 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Employment Support Services. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: This would be a major shift in policy which I would be happy to implement. It has been the policy that whether one is 18 years old with no work record or 50 years old with a 30 years' work record, one can sign on and get â¬204.30 a week. This would be a significant change. I share the Deputy's views that it would be far better to have the 18 to 20 year olds involved in education and...
- Employment Support Services. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: That is my intention.
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Under the Pensions Act, defined benefit pension schemes must meet a minimum funding standard which requires that schemes maintain sufficient assets to enable them discharge accrued liabilities in the event of the scheme winding up. Where schemes do not satisfy the funding standard, the sponsors-trustees must submit a funding proposal to the Pensions Board to restore full funding within three...
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I do not accept that there has been poor regulation of the funds. However, because they are investment funds, the value of the investments has fallen. Where there is scope for further regulation and tightening up â as there is in some cases â we will certainly do that, particularly in the case of employers etc. who are not handing over the pension contributions. We are looking at...
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: If we consider what has happened in other countries, the USA established such a fund that is now â¬11 billion in deficit. The UK has 68 schemes that are part of its protection fund with 20,000 members. Some 7,500 schemes are eligible to enter it with a potential deficit of â¬200 billion. This is what is happening in other countries that have a state protection fund. The Government is...
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I have already made two or three different policy announcements on pensions.
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I have indicated that the long-term policy framework is being considered by Government. When the Government has made a decision, obviously that will be published. I believe the Deputy quoted a journalist â not an expert. As I said earlier, the European Commission is assessing the judgment in the Robbins case to ascertain what additional obligations there may be. As of yet we do not...
- Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is correct in one regard. There are many people who had expectations from their pension schemes, believing they had a guarantee of a particular pension following all their contributions only to find it was not a guarantee and that they were at the mercy of whatever the investment was at the time. There is no doubt that there is an obligation and should be further obligations on...
- Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 55 together. The Department has worked closely with Area Based Partnership Companies since their inception on issues relating to the broad social inclusion agenda and in particular on addressing the needs of the unemployed and the long term unemployed, and in doing so, has worked closely with other members of Partnerships at Board and working committee...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The mortgage interest supplement scheme is designed to help those who have difficulty meeting their mortgage repayment schedule where their means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme provides a short-term "safety net" within the overall social welfare scheme to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to loss of employment. A supplement may be paid in respect of mortgage...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 19 together. Entitlement to a social insurance payment is based, among other things, on fulfilling the social insurance contribution conditions for the particular benefit being claimed. A person claiming jobseeker's benefit is required to have paid a minimum number of contributions since they first started working and also to demonstrate a recent...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Self-employed people may apply for jobseeker's allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. Means of a self-employed person are assessed having regard to previous earnings, the persons current earnings and the prevailing business environment, and likely level of income of the person in the coming 12 months. Given the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 27, 52 and 162 together. The mortgage interest supplement scheme is designed to help those who have difficulty meeting their mortgage repayment schedule where their means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme provides a short-term "safety net" within the overall social welfare scheme to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to loss of...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 17, 23, 24, 29, 33, 45, 50 and 71 together. Under the Pensions Act, defined benefit pension schemes must meet a minimum funding standard which requires that schemes maintain sufficient assets to enable them discharge accrued liabilities in the event of the scheme winding up. Where schemes do not satisfy the Funding Standard, the sponsors/trustees must...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Under the current programme of decentralisation, 258 posts in the Department are to be relocated to Donegal Town. As outlined in Budget 2009, the Government, following a review of the decentralisation programme, in light of the changed economic circumstances and the deterioration in public finances, agreed a revised schedule for the programme. In prioritising projects, a number of factors...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 22, 28, 38 and 72 together. With the increase in the number of people applying for jobseeker's payments staff in local offices have been working extremely hard to process claims as quickly as possible. Productivity has increased significantly. Nearly 155,000 claims were processed in Local Offices in the last quarter of 2008 (including the One Family...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 54 and 75 together. The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) and Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) schemes are administered by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE) on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The operational arrangements for processing of applications and payment to...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: 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 reform required. The views expressed ranged from a continuation of the existing...
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The statutory basis for the introduction of a personal advocacy service under the Citizens Information Board (CIB) was provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007. However, having regard to the current budgetary circumstances, it will not be possible to proceed with this in 2009. Significant resources have been provided since 2005 for a personal advocacy service. These will continue...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (5 Mar 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 40 together. Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit are normally payable when persons lose their employment however the jobseeker's' system is flexible and can respond to many persons who suffer a reduction in days employed or who can only find part-time work. People who find themselves in such circumstances may in fact be paid by the Department of Social...