Results 17,801-17,820 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Pension Provisions. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: When I indicated at the beginning of the year that we hoped to publish within weeks, that was the situation which then obtained. However, it would be foolish of us to issue a long-term framework or strategy while ignoring the changes that have taken place in the economy since the publication of the Green Paper. The economic basis for any framework has changed completely in the past two...
- Pension Provisions. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Department of Finance is responsible for drawing up regulations under the pension insolvency payment scheme. Officials from that Department have been working on the scheme over the summer because technical issues have arisen. However, they continue to make progress on it. The fact that regulations are not in place has not impacted on the funds because it is not as if they have not been...
- Pension Provisions. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: It was never stated that SR Technics would be included in this scheme. I met representatives of the group and they made good arguments but according to the definition of insolvency in legislation introduced by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the company does not qualify. I sympathise with the workers because, as far as they are concerned, the company no longer exists....
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Processing times vary across schemes, having regard not only to the volume of applications but also to the requirements of each scheme. For example, a means assessment must be carried out for all social assistance schemes, medical examinations are required for illness related schemes and customers must satisfy the habitual residence conditions. In the case of the insurance based schemes, it...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I will take the middle issue first. It is unusual where there is a complicated situation where somebody is not in receipt of a social welfare benefit already and is coming along looking for two payments at the same time. I can understand how-----
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: She cannot qualify for the back to education allowance unless they can prove that she qualifies for the lone parent allowance. I can understand why that particular waiting time might be long. Generally, there is not a long delay on lone parent allowance applications. I do not think I have the figure for the waiting time for that allowance to hand, but I shall-----
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Sorry, I do have it. Yes, it is 13 weeks for the lone parent allowance application. However, as the Deputy will be aware, there are issues in that regard. It is not merely the case that one must have a child; a person must also be living alone and the income must be assessed. It is the income that takes time to assess. Some 11,710 applications for back to education allowance have already...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: A question on the back to education allowance is coming up.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I am sorry. What was the Deputy's third question?
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is quite correct about Edenderry. There is a long waiting time but it is now shorter than it was.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: It is now. The Deputy is correct in stating it was 16 weeks at the beginning of the summer. It then increased to 22 weeks. That is entirely unacceptable.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: We stated at the time that additional staff would be put in there. For managerial reasons etc., those staff were only put in at the later end of the summer because staff had to be redeployed from other offices.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Okay.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Since we were last here there were three issues outstanding that were going to affect the processing of claims and they were three issues that were outstanding with the union at the time. One of them related to setting up an appointments system. The second related to making decisions speedily, particularly on jobseeker's benefit, and to being able to give people an indication immediately on...
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: That is the issue that will affect the processing times in the towns of which Deputy Enright spoke. When one looks at the list, delays are occurring where branch offices are taking the claims but do not have the right to make the decisions.
- Social Welfare Benefits. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Unfortunately, it has gone into the labour relations process.
- Social Welfare Fraud. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The prevention of fraud and errors in payments is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Through initial means testing of applicants, reviews of existing claims and targeted control activity in high risk schemes, we aim to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time. Where people have been paid more than...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: In fact, the Department is now working on the basis of not only fraud and error surveys but, as a result of those, of identifying the high-risk categories, and at the time of application even noting which are the ones that need to be constantly reviewed. For example, the Department is aware that within child benefit there are certain sectors that must be followed up frequently. In the case...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Comptroller and Auditor General is using a fraud and error survey to determine that overpayments were made, although the survey was done to identify the high-risk groups in order to make savings in the future. I am not saying no overpayments were made; of course they were, and we always try to get them back. However, the Comptroller and Auditor General was using a survey that was...
- Social Welfare Fraud. (7 Oct 2009)
Mary Hanafin: There are currently 398 inspector posts occupied in the Department, and an additional 40 inspector posts were approved this year, of which 21 have already been filled. The remaining 19 will be assigned over the coming weeks.