Results 18,961-18,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Payment of disability allowance, to the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer following an assessment by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for disability allowance. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal, his case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that he was...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the deputy is contained in the tabular statement. Table: One-Parent Family Payment and Disability Payments as a percentage of the Labour Force and Numbers in Employment, 2000 to 2009. Year Labour Force (1) Number in Employment (1) One-Parent Family Payment One-Parent Family Payment as % of Labour Force One Parent Family Payments as % of Employed Disability...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The National Employment Action Plan, operated jointly with FÁS, is the main activation measure for jobseeker's. It has been in operation since 1998 and has proven successful in that period in assisting people on the live register back into employment. It provides for a systematic engagement of the employment services with unemployed people. Under the Plan, all persons between the ages of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The table details the number of staff serving in the Department annually since 2007, broken down by Division. 1.1.2007 1.1.2008 1.1.2009 1.1.2010 SW REGIONS 1903 1917 2028 2303 PLANNING/POLICY 91 91 90 105 CENTRAL SUPPORT/ ADMIN 391 385 380 342 IS Division 251 236 235 230 SW SCHEMES/CONTROL + Associated Areas 1626 1757 1752 1699 SOCIAL WELFARE APPEALS...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Statistics are not available on the overall number of persons currently in receipt of Widow/er' Contributory Pension on the basis of self employment PRSI specifically. However, of 5,573 Widow/er's Contributory Pensions awarded in 2009, 44 were based on self employment PRSI. There have been no applications disallowed on the basis that self employment contributions applied to one spouse only,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that they have no record of instances whereby an appeal was initiated by the Department in cases where a deciding officer had previously awarded a payment. The Deputy may be referring to cases where the Department requested a review by the Chief Appeals Officer in respect of Appeals Officers decisions. An Appeals Officer's decision is final...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. All applicants - regardless of nationality - for the following payments are required to be habitually resident in the State: · Jobseeker's Allowance · State Pension (Non-Contributory for persons aged over 66) ·...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 809, 810 and 811 together. The questions seek statistical information on the work of the Social Welfare Appeals Office. I am advised by the Social welfare Appeals Officer that the statistics requested by the Deputy in respect of 2007, 2008 are available in the annual reports of that Office for the relevant years. The statistics in respect of 2009 are being...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has not suspended the practice of providing a history of contribution entitlements to customers. On request, a customer will be provided with a copy of their full social insurance contribution history, together with the booklet 'Working It Out', to assist them in assessing their possible pension entitlement. This enables a customer to review their contribution history. Should...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Participants on the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme transfer from another social welfare payment. Annual statistics are collated by the department for the number of participants on the basis of the relevant academic year. Statistics are not collated centrally on the number of applications received or the number who are refused entry to the scheme and, consequently, remain on their...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 815 to 817, inclusive, and 818 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), a minimum of 260 paid reckonable contributions is required, from either employment or self-employment. The person concerned applied for State Pension (Contributory) in 2002. Her claim was disallowed on 23 January 2002 on the grounds that she does not satisfy the contribution condition as she only has a total of 156 paid contributions...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department pays the CIE Group centrally in respect of transport services provided by the Group companies for pensioners and other groups eligible under the Free Travel scheme. The apportionment of payment between the three constituent companies, Bus Eireann, Bus Atha Cliath and Iarnród Eireann is a matter for the CIE Group to determine. Payments made to the CIE Group since 2000 are as...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department currently maintains four websites. The Department's main website, www.welfare.ie, contains information on the range of schemes and services provided by the Department, as well as policy publications and online services. Support and maintenance costs for the website and associated content management system in 2009 were €47,248. In 2009 there were over 2.75m unique visits to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 248 together. Child benefit (CB) is a tax free non means tested benefit paid monthly in respect of all children up to the age 16 years and in respect of children over 16 years of age up to their 18th birthday who are in full time education or have a disability. Child Benefit assists parents in the cost associated with raising children and it...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The claim for Jobseeker's Benefit, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a deciding officer of the Department on the ground that he did not sustain a substantial loss of employment from 21 April 2009 and he appealed against the decision on 4 June 2009. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department. Mortgage interest supplement...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Full details of the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, including the application procedure, will be announced following the promulgation of the Social Welfare Act 2010. It will be administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The scheme will run for the calendar year 2010 only. However, any qualifying employment created in 2010 will be eligible for the scheme, which will...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The tax treatment of social welfare pensions is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. However, I can confirm that tax ramifications are not taken into account when calculating the social welfare pension entitlements of a couple.

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (20 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the flooding from November 2009 onwards, the Government set up a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme to provide income tested financial support to people who have suffered damages to their homes not covered by insurance. An initial sum of €10 million has been set aside by the Government for this...