Results 17,001-17,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. An individual making an application for rent supplement who has recently become unemployed may have maintenance liabilities...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (28 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested is given in the tables. Tables A and B show actual expenditure incurred and income received in the first two months of 2009 for Vote 38 and the Social Insurance Fund, respectively. The figures given are provisional and represent the most up to date information available. Full expenditure and income data to include the month of March will not be available until early...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 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 Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned made an application for Jobseekers Allowance on 30 January 2009. Payment of Jobseekers Allowance is subject to a means test and arrangements are being made for him to be immediately interviewed by a Social Welfare Investigator. The person concerned person may apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance from their local Community Welfare Officer while his application for...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The number of Civil Servants in my Department who are in receipt of Long Service Increments is 1,626. An Officer may become eligible for a Long Service Increment after three years on the maximum point of the standard pay scale and thereafter for the award of a second Long Service Increment after a further three years. The difference between the total salary including Long Service Increments...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: All social welfare schemes have different qualifying criteria, depending on the contingency the scheme seeks to address. Often these criteria include an upper and/or lower age limit. It is intended that these age limits ensure that the appropriate group is targeted for support. Legislative provisions in general and any changes to existing schemes are subject to approval by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The range of benefits and pensions to which different groups of workers may establish entitlement reflects the risks associated with the nature of their work. This in turn reflects the rate of contribution payable. Self-employed people are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 3% and are consequently eligible for a narrower range of benefits than general employees who, together with their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: When a person collects their social welfare payment at a post office, they may be required to provide evidence of their identity. The most common forms of ID produced are Passports, National ID cards, Driving Licenses and employer identity cards. This is not an exhaustive list and customers can prove their identity in other ways such as being personally known to post office staff. Other...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: My officials recently met with the Carers Association to discuss proposals which they had put forward. The majority of the proposals relate to services provided by the Department of Health and Children and the Health Services Executive. However, my officials are committed to working with the Association on any proposals which can be progressed by this Department within existing resources. ...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (29 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 MABS companies with voluntary boards of management employing some 250 money advice staff operating the local MABS services from 65 locations throughout the country. In...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The back to work allowance (BTWA) scheme was designed to assist the long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and other social welfare recipients to return to work. There are two strands to the scheme; the back to work enterprise allowance for the self-employed and the back to work allowance for employees. Details of the number of people benefiting from the back to work...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The total expenditure for each of the Agencies/Boards under the aegis the Department in the years 2004 to 2008 and the budget for 2009 is outlined in the following table. Name of Statutory Body Total Expenditure for each year â'¬ Family Support Agency 2004: 19.610m Social Welfare Tribunal 2004: 4,527 Office of the Pensions Ombudsman 2004: 0.510m The Pensions Board The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. In recent years a significant number of people have come to rely on rent supplement for extended periods. There are...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Bill gives legislative effect to the social welfare elements of the supplementary budget of April 2009. 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 to and stability in the public finances. In the context of very tough decisions having to be made across the range of...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Senators for their contributions and for the informed debate we have had. Everybody recognises this has been the most difficult budget for many years. The decisions made were not taken lightly as we were very conscious of their impact on people and their families throughout the country. However, we have had to increase taxes and borrowing to pay for social welfare. It is sad that...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As public representatives, we cannot ask that social welfare payments be protected while people's incomes are decreasing. There must be a correlation between the two. I would rather be a Minister for Social and Family Affairs who could give significant increases, but those were the days in which people's incomes were increasing and the Exchequer received considerable tax revenue. It is no...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As I mentioned earlier, control measures for combating fraud are a serious issue which I have prioritised. I am not suggesting for one moment that fraud is behind this issue but older people in long-term residential care are not entitled to the household benefits or the living alone allowance. We do not have a system where there is an automatic notification from the nursing homes, although...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This section relates to customer activation, information profiling, the new short-term schemes, etc. The Department of Social and Family Affairs is fortunate that it has access to the skills of 60 facilitators and 40 adult guidance officers. It also has access to vocational education committee information officers, is involved with FÁS and is involved in partnerships with local employment...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Section 6 is designed to encourage increasing numbers of young people to avail of educational and training opportunities. Our priority, therefore, is to ensure an adequate number of places will be available in the first instance. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Education and Science and I have, through meetings of the Cabinet sub-committee...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: People on FÁS courses are paid travel and child care allowances. It will depend, therefore, on the nature of the course on which a person obtains a place whether he or she will obtain an allowance for travel.