Results 18,741-18,760 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: First, the scheme has not been abolished. The scheme is still in existence and, while it is more limited, it does offer the examination. People always had to pay towards their fillings and extractions. It was only a grant that was paid. The only treatment they got free was the examination and two scales and two polishes per annum. If people wanted an extraction or filling, they always...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There is much evidence for a lack of competition in the dental industry. The first is the fact so many people are travelling abroad, the second is the McCarthy report, which indicated that the Government scheme may actually be contributing to higher prices, and the third is in regard to the recommendations made by the Competition Authority, which have not yet been implemented. These...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I have had to repeat every single answer I have given Senator Doherty. I said cutting it for one year would have no long-term impact. Indeed, the international trend is for governments not to get involved at all in funding dental care except for those who cannot provide it for themselves, who will be covered by the medical card. I accept there are not many benefits for a worker under the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am sure the Seanad would prefer to deal with this year's budget instead of trying to predict next year's.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This section provides that when entitlement to mortgage interest supplement is being determined on the supplementary welfare scheme, if that person has already received a mortgage interest relief or any subsidy paid by the local authority, that would be taken into account.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: First, no one is pushing young people out of the country, nor is there any evidence that large numbers of them are emigrating. What emerged today in the quarterly national household survey is that two thirds of young workers who came here from eastern Europe, who have lost their jobs, are returning home. That is why there is an increase in the number of people leaving the country. There is...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Most other European countries are experiencing the very same-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Most other European countries are experiencing the very same difficulties with unemployment as we are. Places such as Australia and Canada really only want people who are well trained and who fit into specific categories. They specify what they want. We are not talking about young people who have worked and we are not talking about people who were on jobseeker's benefit. Let us take the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Where a person qualifies for jobseeker's benefit, where he or she has a work record then he or she will get the full amount.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: If I might finish, where people move-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: If a person moves from jobseeker's benefit to jobseeker's allowance, he or she holds on to the full rate because it is a recognition that he or she has worked. The Senator also inquired about how we can treat a 25 year old and a 26 year old differently. Of course we will not, because the measure applies to those aged up to 24 years of age. Two different age groups are involved. It is...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The demographic is starting to move through. We have seen an increase in the number of pupils in primary schools in recent years and last year was the first year when the large demographic numbers began to move through into second level, which creates jobs at that level as well. If one is a graduate and one participates in the graduate placement scheme one can get the higher rate for that....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Two years.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Official Report will show that, when I spoke about young people with a work record, I indicated it was those with sufficient contributions who would be able to qualify for jobseeker's benefit. On Senator Phelan's point about supplementary welfare allowance and emigration, we all know the number of graduates who take off to travel, in particular, in the year after they graduate.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: That is not the same as emigration.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Senator has highlighted the fact that five people have gone to Dubai but its economy has collapsed. It is not fair to say these people-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Those graduates would qualify under the graduate placement scheme in the short time we hope they would be unemployed. This is not about keeping young people on the live register but about creating jobs. That is why, as part of the budget, we have the largest capital programme of any country in Europe, the retrofit programme, the employment stabilisation fund, investment in tourism and the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: We have the PRSI exemption for employers which we hope will encourage them to take on new graduates and young people who have been on the live register for a few months. That is a real stimulus and incentive for them. The live register is a huge churn in that not all of those on it were on it six months ago. There are opportunities, but, obviously, the better educated one is, the better...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This section deals with supplementary welfare allowance and ensuring it is paid at the same rate. We do not want a situation where somebody will be on a lower rate from the Department and goes to the community welfare officer and ends up on a higher rate.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I never mentioned college.