Results 2,421-2,440 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (12 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: 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 contributes towards alleviating child poverty. Under the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (12 Nov 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 72 together. The average processing times for claims decided in October was 3.14 weeks for jobseekers benefit and 7.38 weeks for jobseekers allowance. In October, 3 out of every 4 claims for Jobseekers Benefit were processed within 3 weeks and 2 out of every 3 claims for the means tested payment Jobseekers Allowance were processed within 6 weeks. To...

Written Answers — Identity Cards: Identity Cards (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Service Card (PSC) under the Standard Authentication Framework Environment, or (SAFE), programme. The specification provides for identification features, including a photograph. The aim is to develop a card that acts as a key for access to public services in general,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Control savings are calculated by applying validated multipliers to the difference in the rate of payment before and after the control activity. Multipliers used in assessing control savings estimate the total future savings to the Department of a revocation or reduction resulting from a control action. The multiplier used is based on the average amount of time the person who signs off will...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 115 together. The Rural Environment Protection Scheme, REPS 4, was closed to new entrants in July of this year. However, under the Rural Development Programme, a new agri-environment measure will be introduced and individuals who have been affected by the closure of REPS 4 can apply for this new scheme. On this basis, estimation of the number of farmers...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The money advisers throughout the country focus on providing assistance, advice and intense support to people who have financial difficulties. The money adviser works out a budget, negotiates on behalf of the client with all creditors, including financial institutions and sub-prime lenders, to secure better terms for the client in managing the repayment of their debts. Where required by the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 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 — Child Support: Child Support (11 Nov 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 some €2.46 billion and the payment is now made for children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has been...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 80, 89, 102 and 105 together. The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time. The Department processes in excess of 2 million claims each...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2009)

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 1st May 2004, in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the new EU Member States. The purpose of the habitual residence condition is to safeguard the social welfare system from...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The objective of the back to education allowance scheme is to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the labour market. The scheme covers full-time courses of education from second level to Higher Diploma (H.Dip) level in any discipline or a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary and Secondary Teaching). The focus of the back...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is anxious to ensure that as many people as possible can be accommodated within the social welfare pensions system. A state pension (contributory) is available to those who have contributed to the social insurance system while a means-tested state pension (non-contributory) is available to those who have an income need. Over the last 10 years, means tests have been improved...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 97 together. There are currently over 91,600 tenants benefiting from a rent supplement payment - an increase of 24% since the end of 2008. Over 33,000 of recipients have been receiving payment of rent supplement for 18 months or more. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), which was introduced in 2004, gives local authorities specific responsibility...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 84, 86, 101, 103, 108, 221 and 226 to 228, inclusive, together. In its consideration of the forthcoming Budget and Estimates, the Government will take account of a wide range of factors including the prevailing economic situation, the need to reduce public expenditure, the recommendations of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the rates of child benefit have increased significantly since 2001 having trebled for the first two children and increased by over 185% for the third an d subsequent children. Partly as a result of this and partly as a result of an increase in the number of eligible children, overall expenditure on child benefit grew from just under €965 million in 2001 to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that during 2008 the average time taken to process all appeals (i.e. those decided summarily and by way of oral hearing) was 22 weeks. However, if allowance was made for the 25% most protracted cases, the average time fell to just over 14 weeks. These processing times replicate those for 2007 notwithstanding the fact that there was an...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is acutely aware and appreciative of the contribution made by carers and has made considerable improvements in services and supports for them in recent years. The carer's allowance scheme has been significantly improved in recent years and, in budget 2009, I continued this process. The rate of carer's allowance for those aged 66 or over by €7 to €239 per week and for those...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 116, 211 and 213 together. The mortgage interest supplement scheme provides support for people who have difficulty meeting their mortgage repayments and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme provides a short-term income "safety net" within the overall social welfare system to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to loss of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In 2008, the Department had just over one million working days potentially available to it. A total of 68,102 days were lost because of sick leave, equivalent to 6.61% of the total. This was an improvement on 2007, when 7.15% of working days were lost due to sick leave. Almost one third of total working days lost because of sick leave in 2008 were due to one of four categories of illness,...