Results 18,061-18,080 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: One of the conditions for receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance is that the person must satisfy the means test. The person concerned was refused the allowance on the basis that his means exceeded the statutory limit. His means of €489 a week are derived from his spouse's earnings and income from property. Accordingly, his application was disallowed. He was notified of this decision on 2 October...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, following receipt of the relevant Departmental papers including comments on the grounds of appeal, the appeal from the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration. As regards waiting times, I am advised that the average time taken in 2008 to process all appeals (i.e. those decided summarily and by way of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos 844, 850 and 851 together. Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The Department provides details of all current rent supplement recipients and landlords to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: An Post provide an agency service for the Department for the delivery of payments to customers. The transaction fees paid to An Post are based on a four point matrix. In March 2007 the Department of Finance sanctioned an increase based on the Consumer Price Index in respect of the period 2003 to 2006. The current scale of fees is as follows:- · First 35 million transactions €1.46 ·...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The application for a refund of PRSI was received from the person concerned on 1 September 2009 as he continued to pay PRSI at the full rate after reaching 66 years of age in 2006. The volume of applications for refunds of PRSI has increased dramatically in recent years. For example in the first ten months of 2009 some 17,600 applications have been received. This compares with 14,000 in...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments on the grounds of appeal in the case of the person concerned have been sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, following receipt of the grounds of appeal from the person concerned, the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been sought. On receipt of its response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently...

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

Mary Hanafin: When a person makes a claim for jobseekers' payment they sign a declaration stating among other things that they are unemployed, available for work and unable to find suitable work. On an on-going basis throughout their claim they will sign a similar declaration to confirm that they continue to satisfy the conditions of the jobseeker's schemes. The majority of claimants do this on a monthly...

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

Mary Hanafin: A claim for Illness Benefit was received on 29th October 2009 from the person concerned. The incapacity quoted on the claim form was "fractured ankle". According to the records of the Department the last PRSI contributions reckonable for Illness Benefit paid by the person concerned were 14 class A contributions in the 1990/91 year. Since then she has been paying class D contributions which...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, an oral hearing of this case took place on 15 October 2009 and the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The Chief Appeals Officer will write to the Deputy when the appeal has been determined. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The table details the total amount paid under the Child Benefit Scheme both in 2008 and to date in 2009, the total number of families and children for which payments are being made, and the number of those children who are living abroad. Table 1 End Dec 2008 2009 to end Sept TOTAL FAMILIES 596,108 593,233 TOTAL CHILDREN 1,141,938 1,129,105 TOTAL COST â'¬2.46b â'¬1.78b NUMBER OF...

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

Mary Hanafin: The number of recipients rent supplement in Dublin and the rest of the country, together with the weekly and average cost, is provided in the tabular statement. The detail requested is not available for the Dublin city area. Information in relation to the number of rent supplement recipients who are also on the local government or voluntary housing lists. This information is available from...

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

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is intended as a short-term income support to eligible tenants whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. There are currently 91,600 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 23% since the end of December 2008. Rent supplements are subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant may incur. The objective is to ensure that rent...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 857 to 860, inclusive, together. Illness Benefit is a payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness and who satisfy certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) conditions. Customers who have been in receipt of Illness Benefit for at least six months may apply for permission to work part-time (not more than 20 hours per week) or to...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The programme for government contains a commitment to continue to support low-income farmers through the Farm Assist Scheme and adapt it in consultation with the relevant farming organisations. As the Deputy will be aware, the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, REPS 4, was closed to new entrants in July of this year. However, under the Rural Development Programme, a new agri-environment...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been sought in this case. On receipt of its response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been 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 (3 Nov 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 (HSE). The Department has no function in deciding entitlement in individual cases. Mortgage interest is defined in Section 187 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). In...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments on the grounds of appeal in the case of the person concerned have been sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that...

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

Mary Hanafin: The policy of the Department of Social and Family Affairs is to provide the widest possible range of payment options to customers. Of circa 600,000 Child Benefit customers, 60% are currently being paid by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and 40% by card-based Electronic Information Transfer (EIT). EFT is highly cost effective in terms of encashment costs, and over 80% of new claimants...