Results 2,261-2,280 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 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 — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department operates two schemes to assist people on social welfare who wish to become self-employed; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The short term enterprise allowance, introduced from 1 May 2009, provides immediate access to support where people who have lost their jobs and qualify for Jobseekers' Benefit wish to set...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Child Benefit scheme has, in recent years, experienced significant expansion in the volume of claims received, the rates of payment and the diversity of the customer base. The annual cost in 2008 was approx. €2.46 billion and the payment issues now for children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The estimated cost of the abolition of the allowance is included in the annual PRSI 'Ready Reckoner' - produced, and published, as part of the Budget process. It should be noted that these estimates are calculated with reference to macro economic projections by the Department of Finance for each Budget and therefore the circumstances underpinning the calculations can vary considerably from...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: It is proposed to take Questions Nos 320 to 324, inclusive, together. The social welfare appeals process is quasi-judicial and the procedures are designed to ensure that every appellant's case gets full and satisfactory consideration. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, on receipt of appeal, it is registered and, in accordance with statutory procedures, the appeal is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A carer's allowance appeal, from the person concerned, was opened on 8 September 2009 and, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been received and the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration. As part of this consideration the Appeals Officer will decide if an oral hearing is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 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. There has been a 44% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: An application for disability allowance, by the person concerned, was refused following an assessment by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the 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 medically unsuitable for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 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. There has been a 44% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office to the end of November 2009 when compared to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 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. There has been a 44% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the evidence, including that adduced at an oral hearing, 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that they currently have 15,752 appeals on hands. This is an increase of 7,600 (93%) on the same period in 2008. This same period has seen the number of appeals received increase from 16,357 in November 2008 to 23,716 to November 2009, an increase of 7,359 (45%). I am concerned about these increases. In that connection, two additional...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Social Welfare payments are contingency-based, for example, unemployment, sickness, retirement etc. Any person who satisfies all the conditions for a particular scheme is entitled to that payment regardless of their nationality and the Department has no business requirement to maintain payment statistics based on the nationality of the recipient. The requirement to be habitually resident in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Under Spanish legislation it is a condition for receipt of child benefit that the child is resident in Spain. The payments are also means tested. There are similar residency provisions in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 which, amongst other things, defines a qualified child for Irish child benefit purposes as one who is "ordinarily resident in the State". In general, child benefits...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Child Benefit receives in the region of two million items of post every year. While it is inevitable that errors will occur in the handling of such high volumes, I have been assured that adequate procedures are in place to ensure that any such errors are kept to an absolute minimum.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is currently serving in the Sligo office of the Department. At this time, the business requirements of the Sligo office are such that the Department is not in a position to facilitate the transfer of the person concerned until such time as a suitable replacement has been sourced.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made a range of recommendations relating to the Department of Social and Family Affairs including recommendations relating to the Family Support Agency and its programmes. The Department will consider, as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010, the Report's recommendations and decisions on all...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Dec 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on...

Seanad: Dental Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. As mentioned, the PRSI scheme goes towards dental benefits but also towards optical benefits. However, its main use is that people can qualify for unemployment assistance and other benefits, the most valuable of all being a pension. The DTBS is a PRSI-based scheme that provides assistance in the provision of dental treatment for those who satisfy...

Seanad: Domestic Violence (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this important issue. Domestic violence is a problem throughout the country and it is important to talk about it at all times, but particularly during the international 16 days of action opposing violence against women. All of us, and particularly the Government, take the problem of domestic...