Results 2,301-2,320 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 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 approximately €2.46 billion and the payment is made to children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: 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 Service Executive on behalf of the Department. The purpose of the rent...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The claims of the person concerned, and earlier claims by his wife, were disallowed on the grounds that the habitual residency condition was not satisfied. Romanian nationals are required to be either self-employed or to have a permit to work as an employee. Neither requirement is satisfied in this case.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned claimed jobseeker's benefit from 29 September 2009. According to the records of the Department he has 59 contributions paid in the 2007 year which governs his claim and 60 contributions paid in the 2008 tax year. The maximum valid contributions a person can have in a tax year are 53. The person concerned has recently indicated that he had two employers in the relevant...

Child Benefit: Motion (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I move amendment No. 1: "To delete all the words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "recognising: — the importance of the child benefit payment to all families with children, and particularly those on low incomes; — that, since 2000, the monthly rates of payment for child benefit has increased from just €53.96 for the first child and €71.11 for the third and...

Child Benefit: Motion (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In that context, much as though the Government would prefer to avoid so doing, it is appropriate to consider the €2.5 billion being spent this year on child benefit. As I noted earlier, the rate of child benefit paid to all families has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2000, parents received €53.96 per month for each of their first and second children. Today, they get €166...

Child Benefit: Motion (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This investment is in addition to the substantial funding provided under the community child care subvention scheme, which ensures access at reduced rates to quality child care for disadvantaged and low-income families. Arrangements are well advanced. When the scheme was announced, some Deputies on the Opposition benches claimed the sector would not be in a position to supply the required...

Child Benefit: Motion (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: He has not.

Written Answers — Flood Compensation Scheme: Flood Compensation Scheme (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together. In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country due to the recent flooding, the Government has allocated an initial sum of €10m to fund a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. The scheme is being administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Details of the number of staff employed in the Department and the average basic salary per grade are set out in the following tables. Information on average salary per grade is only available from 2001 onwards when my Department introduced the Corepay salary system. A detailed breakdown of employees per grade and the number of whole time equivalent posts is only available from 2004 onwards....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Payment of jobseeker's allowance to the person concerned was temporarily suspended pending determination of his entitlement to continued payment under the part-time education option. He now qualifies for jobseeker's allowance under this option and payment has been reinstated. Arrears of the jobseeker's allowance in respect of the period of suspension have also been paid to him.

Written Answers — Electric Vehicles: Electric Vehicles (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: No arrangement has been entered into by the Department for the purchase of electric vehicles in 2009 to 2010.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 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 is made to children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has been...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Since the publication of the Green Paper on Pensions in October 2007, the Government has taken several initiatives to respond to the immediate difficulties facing members of pension schemes, particularly of defined benefit schemes. We have moved quickly to assist pension scheme members through measures announced last December and the amendments passed in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, from the person concerned, was registered on 11 November 2009 and in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments on the grounds of appeal have been sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A tabular statement is set out below showing the number of recipients of rent supplement by HSE area from 2004 to 2009. Number of Recipients of Rent Supplement by HSE Area EasternMidlandMid-WesternNorth EasternNorth WesternSouth EasternSouthernWesternTotal 2004 25,711 2,090 4,163 2,876 2,535 6,018 8,539 5,942 57,874 2005 26,573 2,230 4,333 2,892 2,932 6,514 8,716 5,986 60,176 2006...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: At the end of June 2007, there were 38 staff, equating to 29.85 full-time posts in Blanchardstown Local Office. Details of the number of posts in the office at the end of the last five years are set out in the tabular statement. There are currently 35 posts occupied in the office and work is in train on the assignment of one further permanent staff member which will bring the staff allocation...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Disability Allowance is a weekly Allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residence test. The person concerned is currently in receipt of a reduced rate of Disability Allowance. He was assessed with means...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are over 91,500 people in receipt of rent supplement of which over 33,300 are getting a supplement for 18 months or...