Results 16,761-16,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: -----to ensure people are in need of housing.
- Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Exemptions will apply where a housing authority designates that a person is homeless, has been identified as having a housing need, is a tenant of a voluntary housing body, is aged over 65 or is in receipt of a disability type payment. Rent supplement will continue to provide support where housing authorities are not in a position to respond within a reasonable timeframe and where the person...
- Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: While tenants are contractually obliged to pay the rent agreed to in their lease, we expect landlords to decrease the rent in recognition of the fact that rents have fallen generally and that there is now a large number of vacant rental properties nationally.
- Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I urge all Members to support us in this and help us to send a clear message to landlords that the State will not be overcharged. On a positive note, agreement has been reached with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 1,000 transfers from rent supplement to the longer term rental accommodation scheme in 2009, which will bring the total number of such transfers...
- Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Access to the general back to work enterprise allowance scheme is also being improved. New work placement and graduate placement schemes, which we are devising with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will ensure that graduates and young people will be able to maintain their social welfare entitlements while gaining work experience. This will be an important element of our...
- Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent companies with voluntary boards of management operating the local services throughout the country. In addition, the MABS National Telephone Helpline is available from 9am...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: A person who resides in Ireland, and who has previously worked in the United Kingdom, must apply to the Department for State Pension Transition or State Pension Contributory. The person's standard Irish pension entitlement will be fully processed within 4 weeks of receipt of their claim (where all required information is available), and they are notified of the outcome. Most applicants apply...
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take questions 102 and 103 together. The Family Support Agency provides funding through a Scheme of Grants to voluntary and community organisations providing marriage and relationship counselling, marriage preparation courses, child counselling in relation to parental separation and bereavement counselling and support on the death of a family member. The focus of the scheme is on...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: According to the department's records, the person referred to by the Deputy made an application for Jobseeker's Benefit on 17/2/09. On the basis of the information he supplied, he did not fulfil the condition for Jobseeker's Benefit whereby a person must be fully unemployed for at least 3 days in any period of 6 consecutive days. Consequently, he did not qualify for benefit. He does not...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Following on a review of the staffing levels in local offices due to the increased number of claims for jobseeker's payments, an additional 2 staff were assigned to Kilbarrack Local Office and 3 staff to the Coolock office. Coolock Local Office was the parent office for Balbriggan Branch Office up to the time the office closed in late 2008 following the retirement of the Branch Manager. The...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Early Childcare Supplement was introduced in April 2006 and is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The expenditure on the Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) for 2006, was â¬292 million, the corresponding figure for 2007 was â¬417 million and for 2008 was â¬477 million. The expenditure in...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes such as the scheme to which the Deputy is referring are required to comply with the Funding Standard provisions set out in the Pensions Act. This requires DB pension schemes to maintain sufficient assets to enable them discharge all accrued liabilities. Where schemes do not satisfy the Funding Standard, the sponsors/trustees must submit a funding...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (9 Apr 2009)
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. Mortgage interest supplement provides short-term 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 (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The claim for jobseeker's allowance, by the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 16 February 2009 on the grounds that she did not satisfy the Habitual Residence conditions. An appeal was opened on 3 March 2009 and, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Medical Review and Assessment system is the principal control mechanism for all illness and disability schemes administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Medical Assessors carry out desk assessments of medical evidence/reports supplied by customers and where required, conduct in person assessments in order to provide a second medical opinion for the guidance of Deciding...
- Social Welfare Bill 2009: Order for Second Stage (22 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."
- Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (22 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill will give legislative effect to the social welfare elements of the supplementary budget introduced earlier this month. In the context of the current economic circumstances, it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure to restore order and stability in the public finances. In light of...
- Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (22 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Government's investment of some â¬1 billion over the last decade in the development of a child care infrastructure means that it is possible to introduce a free pre-school year and be confident that the overwhelming majority of parents who wish to access a pre-school place for their children will be able to do so. The introduction of a free pre-school year is a highly significant step in...
- Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (22 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The decision demonstrates the Government's continuing commitment to our children's social and educational development.
- Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (22 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The provision of a year's free pre-school to all children will promote equality of opportunity at the most important developmental stage of children's lives.