Results 17,061-17,080 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Departmental Staff. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The main difference is that community welfare officers make discretionary payments for one or two weeks, albeit to a person who qualifies-----
- Departmental Staff. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: -----whereas my Department has to introduce people to its full payment system. When a person is in the system, it is difficult to take him or her out.
- Departmental Staff. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I accept what the Deputy is saying about the situation in Boyle. I will come back to that. The manner in which the HSE is governed by the public sector recruitment embargo has affected community welfare offices that are in need of staff increases. My Department, however, has been able to increase its numbers and has sought a further increase. When it assumes responsibility for the...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I accept that becoming unemployed and having to claim jobseeker's payment is extremely difficult for people. I am trying to ensure the process of making a claim is as easy as possible. In 2008, we commenced a review of the processes and procedures for accepting and making decisions on claims. Certain initiatives have been introduced at all local and branch offices. A streamlined process...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: In fairness to the staff there has been an 80% increase in productivity because of the increased number of claims. Where the improvements have been introduced they are working very well. I invite the Deputy to see any of the offices where the appointment system is in place.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: They came up against IR difficulties in their branch offices, yet now it has been spread and is working successfully. There is a particular difficulty with 14 of the branch offices, including some of those the Deputy mentioned. The local office support units are working specifically with those to try to reduce their claims, with Boyle being a case in point. Deciding officers have moved...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: In fact, 230 additional staff have been in place in the past few months doing processing. In addition, 16 more inspectors are doing means testing. There has been a significant increase in the number of staff and there has also been an increase in productivity. New systems have been put in place and the appointments system is just one of them. The Dundalk office spearheaded that system....
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The central units are the way to go because they concentrate on the decision-making. Having the four already and three new ones to come will make serious in-roads into any delays. The level of applications coming in is still extraordinarily high although it seems to have abated somewhat but a significant number come in every week. We have requested an additional 300 staff over and above...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The training does take time because the schemes are very complicated. It is not a case of automatically transferring someone to replace a person who is out sick. The person must be trained.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: It is not as if there is a backup system waiting on one side. Everybody is trying to work to capacity. The improvements the staff have made have helped.
- Social Welfare Payments. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The current range of payment options offered by the Department to customers includes payment at a local post office, or to a bank or building society account, or certain credit unions that have been authorised by the banking and credit union regulators. Other than jobseekers, customers can opt for a payment method having regard to their own personal circumstances. The Department administers...
- Social Welfare Payments. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Do not mention it.
- Social Welfare Payments. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Undoubtedly, the use of electronic payments is the way to go because it is very secure for everybody. From the end of September 2009 no books will be printed, so that will alleviate the problem for some. Looking at what customers are paid on different days, however, even if one was to move some jobseekers to a different day they would then impact on pensioners or some other group. Friday...
- Citizens' Information Board. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The statutory basis for the introduction of a personal advocacy service under the Citizens Information Board 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. The Citizens Information Board is monitoring the programme to ensure that the projects are operating in...
- Citizens' Information Board. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The position is that the director was not appointed. When it was decided that we were not in a position to go ahead with the personal advocacy service last year, there was not much point in appointing a director to that service. That is on hold for the moment. The amount spent on personal advocacy from 2005 to 2008 was â¬6.1 million. The amount saved on that service last year, when the...
- Citizens' Information Board. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The potential for a personal advocacy service is huge, including one that is dedicated to people with disabilities that can focus on their needs. It is always the intention of the Government to introduce it. It is just that because of the budgetary situation, both last year and currently, it was not possible to go ahead with it. That is why we did not appoint the director. It is only on...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is intended as a short-term income support for eligible tenants whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. There are currently almost 85,000 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 42% since the end of December 2007. Rent supplements are subject to a limit on the amount of rent an applicant for rent supplement may incur. The objective is to...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: A number of aspects of the rental accommodation scheme need to be reviewed. The significant expansion of the scheme in recent years, even prior to recent developments in the area of unemployment, raises questions, particularly as regards the formation of new households, young people etc. Issues also arise regarding the nature of the accommodation on offer, for instance, whether it is...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: This is an issue. Thus far, 19,500 people have transferred to the rental accommodation scheme. I appreciate the importance of encouraging further transfers to the scheme. The Department is working closely with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to ensure more places are made available. While taxation is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners, it is crucial...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (30 Apr 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Department does not have any contractual arrangements with landlords. Our agreements are made with tenants.