Results 18,241-18,260 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (11 Nov 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 (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Jobseekers Allowance and Farm Assist are both means tested payments. In most such cases, a Social Welfare Inspector will interview the claimant and make such enquiries as are necessary to ascertain the means of the applicant. Historically self-employed persons tended to be assessed with their income in the 12 months prior to claiming, and a decision was given on that basis. This was in the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes put forward a range of recommendations relating to the Department of Social and Family Affairs including recommendations relating to the half-rate carer's allowance. The Department will consider the Report's recommendations as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010. Decisions on all of the...
- Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Commission on Taxation is a wide ranging report containing many significant proposals. At the time of its publication, the Minister for Finance acknowledged that the Commission's Report provided a comprehensive examination of the Irish Taxation System that could set the framework within which tax policy will be made for the next decade. The Minister also stressed the longer term...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 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 (11 Nov 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 — Civil Registration Legislation: Civil Registration Legislation (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. People who have made the transition from one gender to the other, often referred to as transsexuals, increasingly wish to have the transition recognised by official bodies and have their altered sex and/or names reflected in official documents. The High Court case referred to by the Deputy found that the Irish State is in breach of the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: At the end of September 2009, the Department recorded control savings of nearly â¬355m, which is 78% of the year to date target of â¬453m. The annual control target for 2009 is â¬616.5m. It is difficult to project what the control savings for 2009 will be at this point but it is unlikely that the Department will reach the control savings target of â¬616.5m. It must be noted that...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The role of money advisors is to help clients to assess their financial situation, make a budget plan and deal with creditors. The MABS is now dealing with increasing complex debt situations in...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Nov 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 Insurance: Social Insurance (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table: 2009 PRSI INCOME * Total Employer Employee Self Employed â¬5,050 million â¬3,774 million â¬1,183 million â¬93 million * The income is for the period 1 January 2009 to 31 August 2009. The amounts presented are provisional and will be subject to audit by the C&AG. Revenue Estimates 2009 & 2010 In relation to...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Table 1 sets out the number of recipients and overall cost for each scheme for which a Christmas Bonus was paid in 2008. The bonus was paid as 100% of the weekly personal payment. It is estimated that a 100% bonus in 2009 would cost around â¬223 million and benefit over 985,000 recipients. Table 1 COST OF CHRISTMAS BONUS FOR 2008 Schemes Numbers of Recipients Cost at 100%â¬m State...
- Written Answers — Live Register: Live Register (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Government recognises that there has been an increase in the numbers unemployed at national and local level. The National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) is the main welfare to work measure under which all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching 3 months on the live register are identified by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and referred to FÃS for...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The respite care grant is an annual payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. One respite care grant per year may be paid in respect of each person for whom the carer is providing full time care and attention. In June 2008 the grant was increased from â¬1,500 to â¬1,700 per year in respect of each care recipient. In order to qualify for the...
- Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Ireland has social security agreements with Austria, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Most of the agreements came into effect between 1989 and 1999. The Agreement with the Republic of Korea came into effect on 1 January 2009. Ireland also has a bilateral understanding with Quebec since 1 October 1994. In the cases of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy 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. Partly as a result of this and partly as a result of an increase in the number of eligible children, overall expenditure on child benefit grew from just under â¬965 million in 2001 to...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. One of the goals of the social welfare system is to be responsive to the needs of people of working age and to facilitate them taking up relevant employment or self-employment opportunities. In order to respond effectively to the growing numbers on the Live Register and the current employment situation, it was decided in the context...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Any proposal to amend entitlement to dental and optical benefit will be considered as part of the Estimates and Budget process for 2010. This will include consideration of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, and the decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further...
- Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Department is committed to delivering a quality service to all its customers. A continuous programme of process improvement initiatives is underway aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology. Operational processes and procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised and that claims are...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance at the rate of â¬443.90 a week comprising of the personal rate of â¬204.30, an increase for a qualified adult of â¬135.60 and increases for four qualified children totalling â¬104. Jobseeker's allowance is a means tested payment consequently all earnings from employment are assessable as means and would affect entitlement with...