Results 17,461-17,480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In recent months, the Government has taken several initiatives to tackle the severe difficulties being faced by members of pension schemes, particularly defined benefit schemes. These were immediate difficulties that required a quick response to help protect members' benefits. The Government introduced legislation to create a pensions insolvency payment scheme whereby members of schemes in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: At the end of May there were 9,072 jobseeker's allowance claims coded as having been self-employed prior to making their claim. Of this number 3,393 are in payment, 554 have been disallowed and 5,125 are currently being processed. A self-employed person who was on another social welfare payment immediately prior to making their claim would not be included in these figures. Self-employed...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes was established by the Minister for Finance to examine current expenditure programmes in each Department and to make recommendations for reducing public service numbers so as to ensure a return to sustainable public finances. It is expected that the Group will submit its report to the Minister for Finance shortly. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There is an obligation, under Social Welfare legislation, on customers to notify the Department of any change in their circumstances which may affect their entitlement to payment. Customers are informed of this requirement when notified of the decision on their claim and at subsequent reviews. When a person in receipt of a social welfare payment enters full-time permanent nursing home care...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In order to respond effectively to the growing numbers on the Live Register and the current employment situation, it was decided in the context of the recent supplementary budget to refocus resources on the enterprise strand of the back to work allowance which supports people into self employment. These changes significantly strengthen the supports for job-seekers wishing to move to self...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has identified the need for over 300 posts to assist with processing claims and other essential functions in relation to the increasing Live Register. In recent months the Department has established 5 Local Office Support Units, comprising of 49 posts, in Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Roscommon, Finglas and Dublin city. A further 16 Social Welfare Investigators have been assigned...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together. As Deputies will be aware, the rates of child benefit have increased significantly since 2001 having trebled for the first two children and increased by over 185% for the third and subsequent children. Overall expenditure on child benefit grew from just under €965 million in 2001 to nearly €2.5 billion in 2008 as a result of these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There are no plans to amend the benefit and privilege rules for under 25 year olds at this time. Any further improvements to the means testing arrangements for social welfare schemes generally, including the benefit and privilege assessment arrangements for the jobseeker's allowance and supplementary welfare allowance schemes, would have to be considered in a budgetary context and having...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Estimates for the Department of Social and Family Affairs which were published on 23 April last were based, in the main, on an analysis of trends as regards likely numbers of recipients and average value of payments in 2009. The estimates for Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance were significantly increased from the Estimates published at the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans to introduce any changes to social welfare rates in 2009 other than those changes that were announced in Budget 2009 and in the Supplementary Budget. Social welfare rates of payment for 2010 will be considered later this year in a Budgetary context and having regard to available resources.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The respite care grant is an annual payment of €1,700 for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions. One respite care grant per year is paid in respect of each person for whom the carer is providing full time, care and attention. The grant is paid automatically to the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Self-employed persons pay a modified rate of PRSI contribution (Class S). These contributions provide cover for long-term pensions such as state pension and widow's/widower's contributory pension. However they do not provide cover for short-term benefits such as jobseeker's and illness benefits - these are only available to persons covered by PRSI Classes A, E, H and P. This reflects the need...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Income chargeable to PRSI is, in general, defined in terms of income liable under Schedule E of the Income Tax Acts. Such income is generally derived from employment or self-employment. This income base is appropriate to the social insurance system as it is consistent with the contributory principle of the of the social insurance fund, whereby a relationship is established between the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Farm Assist is currently paid to some 7,900 customers and 941 new applications were received since 1 January 2009. The average weekly payment is €217.36. There is no limit in relation to the size of herd or acreage a farmer may hold when applying for this scheme. In carrying out the means test for farm assist the Social Welfare Inspector seeks to establish the likely income of the farmer in...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. I have made enquiries of an tÁrd-Chláraitheoir regarding the matter raised by the Deputy and the position is as set out below. The provisions governing the registration of domestic adoptions and the issue of birth certificates drawn from the register of adoptions are set out in section 22 of the Adoption Act, 1952. Under these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the supplement is to provide 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 residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) 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 operating the local services throughout the country. In addition, the MABS National Telephone Helpline is available from 9am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday, at lo-call...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The application for a one-parent family payment from the person concerned is being processed as speedily as possible. When a decision is made she will be informed of the outcome. She is currently in receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance payment pending a decision on her claim. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has not received a request for a refund of PRSI contributions that have been overpaid by the client's recently deceased partner. With regard to PRSI refunds generally, it should be noted that refunds in respect of a deceased client are made, through the legal representative dealing with the estate, to the estate of the deceased and not to the spouse/partner of the client. In...