Results 17,761-17,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 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. The person concerned applied for Disability Allowance on 28 July 2008. His claim was assessed by a Medical...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been received and the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Details of experts' and consultants' reports commissioned by the Department during 2008 are set out in the following table.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The habitual residence condition applies to all claimants for certain social welfare payments, regardless of nationality. Any person who makes a claim for jobseeker's allowance, child benefit, one parent family payment, disability allowance, State pension non-contributory, carer's allowance, widow's non-contributory, guardian's non-contributory payment, blind pension or supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 893 and 894 together. Officers who retire from my Department before the minimum retirement age of 60 can only do so either on grounds of ill health, which is subject to the approval of the Chief Medical Officer, under the terms of the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme, which was introduced in 2004 or under the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER)...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 895, 898, 907 and 913together. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that each of the appeals from the persons concerned have been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in each case. The persons concerned will be notified when the necessary arrangements have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: All claims for social welfare benefit and assistance payments are decided by statutory deciding officers under the relevant legislation. I have no function in these decisions. The person concerned has been in receipt of a reduced rate farm assist with effect from 2 June 2009. Farm income is assessed in accordance with statutory provisions for the assessment of means as provided for under the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was discontinued following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal, her case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. I am informed by the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The maintenance and upgrade of Social Welfare offices is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Department has been actively working with OPW regarding the renovation and upgrading of the Social Welfare office in Clondalkin. This work is due to commence in December next and is expected to be completed within 2 months of commencement.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The maintenance and upgrade of Social Welfare offices is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Department has been actively working with OPW regarding the renovation and upgrading of the Social Welfare office in Clondalkin. This work is due to commence in December next and is expected to be completed within 2 months of commencement.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the acquisition and maintenance of office accommodation for the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The Department is currently in discussions with the OPW with regard to seeking accommodation to serve the Lucan area. Jobseeker claims for people living in the Lucan area are administered by the Social Welfare Local Office in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 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 certain social welfare payments who wish to participate in full time education and who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's allowance on 20 October, 2008 while he was living in Cork. Documents in relation to proof of address were requested on 24 October 2008. He was again written to on 9 December 2008 regarding proof of address and the need for further documentation relating to casual employment. This included a form UP14b to be completed and returned by his employer....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned reapplied for One Parent Family Allowance on 17 September 2009. Applications for One Parent Family Allowance are means tested and require an investigation by a Social Welfare Inspector. The investigation in this case has now been completed and a report has been forwarded to the Local Office in Newbridge today Monday 5 October 2009. A decision on this application will be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Payment of illness benefit to the person concerned was discontinued following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal, her case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she was capable of work. I am informed by the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: An application for carer's allowance, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on the grounds that she was not providing full-time care. The issue in the appeal relates to whether the person concerned provides full time care and attention as provided for in the Social Welfare Acts and the medical condition of the care recipient is not at issue. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department avails of the central framework negotiated by the Department of Finance for mobile phone services. Contracts under this framework are currently in place with O2 and Vodafone.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in the case. The person concerned will be notified when the necessary arrangements have been made. As regards waiting times, I am advised that the average time taken in 2008 to process all appeals (i.e. those decided summarily...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: An officer who retires or is removed from the civil service due to the abolition of his/her office or to Departmental reorganisation may, at the discretion of the Minister for Finance, be awarded a special severance gratuity in addition to pension and retirement lump sum, within statutory limits. A gratuity is also payable in certain circumstances to Secretaries-General of Government...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Thirteen staff have been dismissed from my Department in the period 1st January 2004 to 31 December 2008. Seven of the above officers were on probationary contracts.