Results 17,321-17,340 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The National Employment Action Plan, operated jointly with FÁS, is the main activation measure for jobseekers. It has been in operation since 1998 and has proven successful in that period in assisting people on the live register back into employment. It provides for a systematic engagement of the employment services with unemployed people. • In the period January to end of December,...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The National Employment Action Plan/Job Search, operated jointly with Fás, is the main activation measure for jobseekers. This strategy provides for systematic engagement by the FÁS employment services with unemployed people and is a key element of the Government's labour market policy. Under the Plan, all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who is approaching 3 months on the Live...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There is a range of education and employment supports available to people in receipt of social welfare payments. These initiatives are designed to assist them in returning to the active labour force. Included in these measures are the back to work allowance and back to education allowance schemes. In April 2009 there were 11,646 people in receipt of the back to education allowance for the...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The National Employment Action Plan, operated jointly with FÁS, is the main activation measure for jobseekers. It has been in operation since 1998 and has proven successful in that period in assisting people on the live register back into employment. It provides for a systematic engagement of the employment services with unemployed people. In the period January to end of December 2008: •...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Facilitators work closely with Fás and other agencies at national and local level, to identify appropriate training and developmental programmes social welfare recipients of working age to enhance the skills those individuals have and ultimately improve their employment chances as well as help them continue to develop personally. The facilitator service is available locally to all social...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: During the period May to December 2008 an additional 158 staff were assigned to local offices to deal with the increased volume of claims. With the exception of Cork local office all but two of these staff are now in place and arrangements are in train to assign the outstanding 2 staff. In the case of Cork local office, some of the additional posts are been covered by way of temporary...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was put on a reduced working week and claimed jobseeker's benefit. A decision will be made on his claim within the next week and he will be notified of the outcome.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together. The person concerned has been awarded jobseeker's benefit at the maximum weekly rate of €204.30 with effect from 1 June, 2009. His first payment issued to him on 8 June 2009. The person concerned has not applied for a back to education allowance payment. However, it is open to him to do so and a form for this purpose has been issued to him.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the Chief State Solicitor's Office has confirmed to the Office of Public Works (OPW) that the lease on the premises in question will be executed on or before next Friday, 12th June. Negotiations on the lease were protracted as this is a subletting arrangement and there are two firms of solicitors involved in the transaction. The OPW has been asked to make every effort to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department. The purpose of mortgage interest supplement is to provide short term income...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A breakdown of the customers benefiting from the household benefits and free travel schemes by payment type for the last five years is set out in the tables. Type of Payment 2004 Electricity Allowance Television Licence Allowance Telephone Allowance Gas Allowance Free Travel State Pension (Contributory) 52,217 52,217 56,076 5,831 92,097 State Pension(Non Contributory) 43,904 43,904...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The issue raised by the Deputy relates to the medical qualifying conditions associated with social welfare schemes and in particular the position of people within the deaf community as regards entitlement to Disability Allowance. Disability Allowance is a weekly payment made to persons who are substantially restricted by reason of their disability in undertaking work which would otherwise be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for farm assist on 21 May 2009. His claim is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector who will examine his case as soon as possible. On completion of enquiries a decision will be made and he will be notified of the outcome. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 51 together. In order to qualify for the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory) a person must, amongst other qualifying conditions, achieve a yearly average of at least 48 contributions paid or credited on his/her social insurance record over their working life. Reduced pensions are paid to those with yearly averages as low as 10...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Family Income Supplement (FIS) scheme, which provides income support for employees on low earnings with families, is designed to preserve the incentive to move from welfare to (or remain in) employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. Qualification for payment under this scheme requires...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Disability Allowance is a weekly Allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. There were 97,652 persons in receipt of Disability Allowance at the end of May 2009. A total of 27,639...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In the past 12 month period a total of 422 Invalidity Pension applications were refused on the grounds of insufficient insurance contributions. The PRSI contribution conditions for Invalidity Pension require that the claimant must have a total of 260 contributions paid at the appropriate rate (class A, E or H) since entry into insurable employment and 48 paid or credited contributions in the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In Budget 2009, I increased the rate of carer's allowance for those aged 66 or over by €7 to €239 per week and for those aged under 66 by €6.50 to €220.50 per week. These increases took effect from January 2009. Recipients of carer's allowance are also eligible for household benefits and free travel and the respite care grant. Income support schemes administered by the Department...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department currently has bilateral social security agreements with 9 countries:- Australia, Austria, Canada, The United Kingdom, New Zealand, The United States of America, Switzerland, Quebec and Korea. Liaison procedures to ensure the secure transfer of personal data have been established with each country, and are kept under constant review. Regular contact is maintained by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Since its introduction, the underlying objective of the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme has been to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the labour market. It is a second chance educational opportunities scheme for people on welfare payments who wish to participate in full time education and who would not...