Results 2,001-2,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: With regard to employment opportunities, there has been an increase in places available through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science. Significantly, a €20 million activation fund has also been established which will be available to the private and public sectors, enabling people to come forward with ideas on training and courses...

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

Mary Hanafin: There is a really strong message that we should be sending to young people in December and January. The CAO applications for the third level colleges and post-leaving certificate courses go in at the end of January. If these young people have to make a choice, they must go for education. The same people who would qualify for social welfare such as jobseeker's assistance, by virtue of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The fuel allowance increased last year, as the amount and number of weeks in the scheme were increased. The price of fuel came down. It remains intact in this budget. We are still on target with NAPS. Despite the cuts in this budget, the average industrial wage has come down as well. It must be the case that there is no great incentive to be on social welfare as opposed to working. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: At no stage did I say carers were happy. Nobody from whom one takes money will be happy. No organisation advocating on behalf of different groups will be happy when it sees a cut coming. At no stage did I imply it or say it.

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

Mary Hanafin: Carers and the Carers Association are happy the half rate allowance and the respite care grant were protected.

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

Mary Hanafin: Nobody is implying anybody would be happy with the cut. Let us put this in perspective. The payment is still €10 a week more than in 2007 and prices have fallen. The cut is between €8.30 and €8.50 depending on the schemes people are on. The number of training and education places has increased. They include 3,500 under the European globalisation adjustment fund, 3,500 under the...

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

Mary Hanafin: No, but graduates are keen to take up the places.

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

Mary Hanafin: I can get the Senator all of the details because it is a valuable scheme-----

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

Mary Hanafin: -----and one probably worth advertising, not so much to graduates as to employers. However, we must ensure it does not result in job displacement.

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

Mary Hanafin: It comes back to the core issue in that what we propose is a cut in the rates. Difficult and all as that is - it is a very fine balancing act - it is about supporting young people and giving them an incentive to remain in education and training. It is working for 18 and 19 year olds and we believe it can work with older groups. It is about continuing to support carers and people with...

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

Mary Hanafin: To answer Senator Norris, I accept that people with disabilities have particular needs; there is no doubt about this. In trying to frame savings in the social welfare budget, once we decided those aged over 66 years and children in receipt of social welfare payments would be protected, we were left with a very large group under the age of 66 years. It would be very difficult to begin...

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

Mary Hanafin: Yes, it did. For the record, the Fine Gael proposals only excluded people on disability benefit, carers and the blind. All others, including widows-----

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

Mary Hanafin: -----of working age and lone parents-----

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

Mary Hanafin: I suggest Senator Buttimer read the document. It includes cuts for all those of working age with the exception of disability-----

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

Mary Hanafin: That is it. The rest of-----

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

Mary Hanafin: The Senator will notice that it suggests cutting payments to widows, lone parents and the unemployed.

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

Mary Hanafin: Both parties, in recognition of the difficulties we face, acknowledged the social welfare budget had to be reduced. We did so, while protecting the elderly and children. Unfortunately, it involved cutting payments to other groups.

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

Mary Hanafin: We also protected children of vulnerable families from cuts to child benefit. Senator Norris mentioned suitability with regard to education and is absolutely right. I saw a very good example in Limerick where people had been referred to the national employment action plan from the social welfare office. Some were sent to FÁS and others to the local employment service. The local employment...

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

Mary Hanafin: It is an excellent example which I have been trying to encourage. With all of the various agencies involved now working together, we should be able to do so. With regard to the national anti-poverty strategy, we are still on target because the average industrial wage has decreased. Because incomes in the private sector have decreased, the relativity is affected.

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

Mary Hanafin: The poverty impact assessment that is usually published with the budget is normally carried out by the Department of Finance in respect of taxation changes. As there were no taxation changes in this budget, the assessment was not attached to it. The poverty impact assessment should then have been carried out by researchers in the Combat Poverty Agency, or wherever. Those people, with all...