Results 3,041-3,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (17 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The unprecedented increase in the claimload at the Clondalkin office in the past 18 months (claimload increased by 8,825) has put a lot of extra pressure on the service at the office. The office has limited public space and counter space is very restricted. Urgent efforts continue to be made to reduce queuing times and to alleviate congestion both outside the building and on the public...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (17 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Social and Family Affairs publishes on its website all the guidelines that are provided to its deciding officers for determining questions of entitlement to payment. The guidelines relating to the habitual residence condition are published at: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/habres. aspx The guidelines quote the relevant legislation and include a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Sep 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 residency test. The legislative provisions for Disability Allowance are contained in Parts 1 and 3 of the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (17 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in receipt of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office, which is an office of the Department independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements, that priority is given to cases where the appeal concerns payments which are in the nature of an appellant's primary source of income. As regards delays in finalising appeals, I am advised that the average...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Disability Allowance, Carers Allowance, State Pension (Non Contributory), Widows Pension (non Contributory) schemes are administered centrally in HQ areas and as a consequence statistics for these schemes are maintained on a national basis. Statistics and processing times are compiled on a regional basis for the means tested schemes administered in the Local and Branch Offices throughout...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The purpose of mortgage interest supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme is operated by the Family Support Agency which is under the auspices of my Department. There are currently 107 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) nationwide. The total budget for the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme in 2009 is over €18m. The aim of this Programme is to combat disadvantage and improve the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 828 and 915 together. 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 courses of education from second level to Higher Diploma level in any discipline [the National Framework of Qualifications {NFQ} and to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible persons living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The Health Service Executive has advised that rent supplement was refused on the basis that the person concerned has...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been sought in this case. On receipt of its response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department have been sought in this case. On receipt of its response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The latest figures available for the numbers of people paying class S contributions are as follows: 2007* - 335,824 2006 - 356,548 2005 - 356,640 * Provisional.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose taking Questions Nos. 835 and 855 together. The issues raised by the Deputy have been considered in the Department and sanction has been received from the Department of Finance to progress the matter. The Department will be contacting the Chief State Solicitor's Office so that the necessary legal arrangements can be put in place so that the matter can be finalised.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the person concerned furnished her grounds of appeal and, in accordance with statutory requirements, the relevant Departmental papers and comments of the Department were sought. These are now to hand and will be referred to an Appeals Officer for early consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Social Welfare Inspectors appointed under Section 250 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, investigate claims to all means tested Social Welfare Schemes, excluding Supplementary Welfare Allowance. Reviews of means tested payments are also carried out by Inspectors to ensure the conditions regarding entitlement continue to be satisfied. The Inspectors' remit also includes the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Child Benefit is payable in respect of children who are ordinarily resident in the state or who reside with a qualified person outside the state, while that person is a member of the Defence Forces, a civil servant posted abroad, a volunteer development worker or who remain insurable under Irish social insurance while working abroad. EU migrant workers may have an entitlement to Child...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Sep 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Under the back to education scheme an applicant can pursue a second or third level course up to and including a Higher Diploma in any discipline and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. The scheme is not operated on the basis of a prescribed list of courses or of course providers. Under the third level option the course being pursued must be a full-time day course of study which is approved...