Results 2,441-2,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos: 93 and 212 together. The Family Income Supplement is designed to provide support for people with families who are on low earnings. This preserves the incentive for them to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is a central element of a programme of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 100 together. Rent supplement is intended as short-term support for eligible tenants whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. There are currently over 91,600 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 24% since the end of December 2008. The number of rent supplement recipients, the number of rent supplement claims...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Social and Family Affairs has an extensive legal structure to support the sharing of data with other Government Departments and specified bodies such as An Garda Síochana for the purpose of combating social welfare fraud. Data matching is used as a method of identifying high risk social welfare claims for review. The main example of on-going co-operation with the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (11 Nov 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 pensions schemes, particularly members 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: The current free travel scheme operated by the Department provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. While the scheme is...

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

Mary Hanafin: The free television licence is a component of the household benefits package which also includes the electricity/gas allowance and telephone rental schemes. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department administers a number of social assistance schemes to meet the income support needs of certain people. The associated means tests are designed to reflect the particular circumstances of these individuals and their families as well as the different life cycle stages. Over the years, various developments in means testing have led to the system becoming complex and difficult for...

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

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned first applied for State Pension (contributory) in June 2007. The claim was rejected in September 2007 as she had no paid PRSI contributions and therefore did not fulfill the conditions for receipt of State Pension (contributory). In April 2008, she submitted an application to have a business partnership between her and her spouse recognised for the purpose of social...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos.107, 114, 117 and 119 together. The average processing times for claims decided in October was 3.14 weeks for jobseekers benefit and 7.38 weeks for jobseekers allowance. This is the average nationally and there are fluctuations between offices. In October, 3 out of every 4 claims for Jobseekers Benefit were processed within 3 weeks and 2 out of every 3 claims...

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

Mary Hanafin: Over the past year the Department has introduced a range of process improvement initiatives to deal with the increased volume of claims. One of the most significant initiatives introduced aimed at reducing queuing times and waiting times, involves the customer attending the office by appointment at which time the claim is taken and decided. Jobseekers at their first point of customer contact...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances. In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas bonus would not be paid in 2009. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: Jobseekers Allowance and Farm Assist are both means tested payments. In most such cases, a Social Welfare Inspector will interview the claimant and make such enquiries as are necessary to ascertain the means of the applicant. Historically self-employed persons tended to be assessed with their income in the 12 months prior to claiming, and a decision was given on that basis. This was in the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes put forward a range of recommendations relating to the Department of Social and Family Affairs including recommendations relating to the half-rate carer's allowance. The Department will consider the Report's recommendations as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010. Decisions on all of the...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Commission on Taxation is a wide ranging report containing many significant proposals. At the time of its publication, the Minister for Finance acknowledged that the Commission's Report provided a comprehensive examination of the Irish Taxation System that could set the framework within which tax policy will be made for the next decade. The Minister also stressed the longer term...

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

Mary Hanafin: Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas Bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances. In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas Bonus would not be paid in 2009. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas Bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances. In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas Bonus would not be paid in 2009. The...

Written Answers — Civil Registration Legislation: Civil Registration Legislation (11 Nov 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. People who have made the transition from one gender to the other, often referred to as transsexuals, increasingly wish to have the transition recognised by official bodies and have their altered sex and/or names reflected in official documents. The High Court case referred to by the Deputy found that the Irish State is in breach of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: At the end of September 2009, the Department recorded control savings of nearly €355m, which is 78% of the year to date target of €453m. The annual control target for 2009 is €616.5m. It is difficult to project what the control savings for 2009 will be at this point but it is unlikely that the Department will reach the control savings target of €616.5m. It must be noted that...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. The role of money advisors is to help clients to assess their financial situation, make a budget plan and deal with creditors. The MABS is now dealing with increasing complex debt situations in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 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...