Results 17,361-17,380 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (18 Jun 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. In 2009, almost €18 million has been provided to assist the MABS in dealing with its workload. There are 53 independent MABS companies with voluntary boards of management operating the local...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned has withdrawn his application for a farm assist payment.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for Invalidity Pension on 8 July 2008. The application was disallowed by the Deciding Officer on 10 September 2008, following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that the person concerned did not meet the medical requirements for Invalidity Pension. The person appealed against this decision to the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The position remains as advised in Parliamentary Question 326 which I answered for the Deputy on 19 May 2009. The Executive has advised that payment of rent supplement to the person concerned was stopped as she has refused three offers of accommodation by her local authority in a period of 18 months. She has appealed against this decision. The Executive has further advised that the Appeals...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for job seekers allowance from 6 November 2008 and her claim was refused by a Deciding Officer on the grounds that the person did not satisfy the habitual residence condition. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal from the person concerned was received by that Office on 3 March 2009. In accordance with the statutory requirements the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. An application form for the back to education allowance was received from the person concerned. However, while in the process of being transferred from one office to another, the form was mislaid. A Facilitator will arrange to meet with her at a suitable time next week to have a fresh application completed and a decision will be made on...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure in order to restore order and stability in the public finances. This has involved reviewing all public expenditure programmes, including social welfare programmes, which at some €21.3 billion in 2009 form a substantial portion of overall public expenditure. The rates of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A claim for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on 21 May 2009. He was advised by letter dated 28 May 2009 that he is not entitled to Illness Benefit as the records of the Department show that he has insufficient PRSI contributions to satisfy the qualifying conditions (which are also set out in the letter). If the person concerned considers that he has more PRSI...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Programme: Rural Transport Programme (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of access to public transport in rural areas is being addressed at present through the Rural Transport Programme, which is being managed by Pobal, on behalf of the Department of Transport. My Department is contributing €1.5 million to the initiative this year to ensure that free travel pass holders continue to have access to community based transport services. I am aware of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Central Control Section in Carrick-on-Shannon accepts details of suspected social welfare fraud from members of the public. All information given is treated in the strictest confidence. Under the Data Protection Act, information regarding action taken on any such reports to the Department cannot be provided. Details of suspected fraud can be given in any of the following ways: a.by post: to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A Deciding Officer disallowed the jobseeker's allowance claim of the person concerned from 13 May, 2009, on the grounds that his means, derived from the benefit of spouse's earnings, exceed the maximum jobseeker's allowance rate payable to a person in his circumstances. He has appealed this decision and his file was forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for re-examination of his means. The...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Details of EU funding received by the Department from 1993 to 2008 are set in the table below. EU Funding received by the Department Name of Programme Amount Received€ 1 Repayment of grants under the EU Horizon Project 1995 290,242 2 EU Presidency 1996 114,545 3 EU Presidency 1998 89,492 4 Conference on caring for older people at home 1999 31,115 5 Conference on Social Development...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together. During the first six months of 2009, advertisements were placed in the National press, relating to the following policies and programmes:1. Consultation on fees payable to Health Professionals; 2.Notice to Landlords of Tenants receiving Rent Supplement; Table 1 outlines the costs associated with the above advertisements; Table 2 outlines...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Defined benefits pension schemes winding up in deficit and with an insolvent employer will be able to avail of pension insolvency payments scheme being introduced by the Department of Finance. I recently met with representatives of the trustees of this company's pension scheme and understand their concerns. On foot of discussions, I undertook that my officials would liaise with the Department...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There are over 600 staff in the Department at local regional and national level whose work involves some element of control activity in relation to the prevention, detection, deterrence of fraud and pursuit and recovery of overpayments. This number includes 392 Inspectors serving in the Department of which 88 Inspectors are attached to the Department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of a farm assist payment at the weekly rate of €255.90. This payment includes an increase in respect of a qualified adult and child, less weekly means of €110.00. The means of the person concerned are derived from income from a holding and capital. She has a gross annual income from a holding of €29,054.00, less expenses of €21,254.00 giving a net...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The couple concerned applied for Farm Assist on 18 February 2009. The application is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation and it is expected that this will be completed within the next week or so. A decision on their claim will be made immediately thereafter for investigation and they will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's allowance on 4 February 2008. He was requested to furnish certain documentation within 7 days of this date in support of his application. He was advised that failure to do so within the specified time would result in the closure of his claim. He failed to furnish the required documentation within the specified time and his claim was subsequently...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that the child needs care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively all of the time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution towards the...