Results 18,021-18,040 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The objective of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report "National Profiling of the Unemployed in Ireland" is to identify metrics other than duration of unemployment to target additional supports for people at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. The report quantifies the relative impact of a range of factors which contribute to long-term unemployment. These factors include...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for a State Pension (Transition) at age 65, a person must be retired from work and have a minimum yearly average of at least 24 reckonable social insurance contributions from their commencement of insurable employment up to the end of the tax year prior to their 65th birthday. A claim for State Pension (Transition) was received from the person concerned on 29 June 2009. He...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to both a medical examination and a means test. The weekly rate of Disability Allowance payment depends on the amount of weekly means assessed. The legislative...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned made a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) on 5 January 2009 at Coolock Local Office. The JA claim was awarded and paid for 203 days to 15 September 2009. His JA claim was suspended on 17 September 2009 as he has not signed since then. The person advised the Local Office that he was moving to London. The person applied for a Back to Education Allowance, Third Level...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 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 (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A person who is self employed normally pays a PRSI Class S contribution rate. This entitles such a person to limited benefits such as Widow's or Widowers Contributory Pension, Guardians Payment (Contributory), State Pension (Contributory), Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and a Bereavement Grant. From the information provided the person concerned may have an entitlement to Disability...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Guardians' payment schemes allow for the provision of a weekly allowance to a guardian of a child who has either been orphaned or whose parents have abandoned and failed to provide for the child. The person concerned applied for a Guardian's Contributory Payment in May this year. As the evidence supplied did not support abandonment of the child by her mother, it was decided that she was...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of mortgage interest supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I received correspondence from the Irish Dental Association expressing concerns about the future of the dental benefit scheme. I had a meeting with them on 17 September where they indicated that they would return with "proposals which would achieve greater efficiencies while retaining the integrity of the scheme and minimise the impact on clients and their patients". No proposals have been...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Details of payments made by agencies and organisations under the aegis of the Department to the Irish Business and Employers Confederation are set out in the following table. State Board/Agency Amount paid2007 Amount paid2008 Amount paidto date in 2009 Citizens Information Board € 9098 € 9462 € 9462 Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) € 2132 * July 2008 to end December...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the documentation in the case and the Deciding Officer's comments on the grounds of the appeal. In that context, an examination by another medical assessor will be carried out. The person concerned will be notified when arrangements for the examination have been...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence has allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned will be notified of the decision. 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas Bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances. In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas Bonus would not be paid in 2009. The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The child benefit scheme has, in recent years, experienced significant expansion in the volume of claims received, the rates of payment and the diversity of the customer base. The annual cost in 2008 was approximately €2.46 billion and the payment is now made for children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Oct 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's allowance from 28 July 2009. His claim was closed because he failed to provide documents requested to determine his means. His case will be reviewed if he supplies the requested documentation. A previous application for jobseeker's allowance dated 28 January 2008 was disallowed on the grounds that he failed to disclose his means. He appealed...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Earlier this year, my Department estimated that the additional cost in social welfare payments of each 1,000 on the live register (LR) amounted to approximately €12.95 million in respect of jobseekers payments and secondary benefits. The Department of Finance estimated that lost tax revenue amounted to around €8 million in a full year for each 1,000 loosing employment. Combined these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (3 Nov 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 otherwise...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Community Welfare Service (CWS) administers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme (SWA), which includes rent supplement on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. In February 2006 the Government decided that the (CWS) would transfer to this Department. Provision has been made in the Social Welfare and Pensions Acts 2007 and 2008 for the transfer of the administration...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The number of people who applied for and were awarded rent and mortgage interest supplement in August and September 2009 is provided in the following tabular statements. Claim details are recorded electronically in cases where it is established that rent and mortgage interest supplement is payable. However, claim details are not always recorded electronically where no entitlement has been...